


Unexpected

by Broodofvipers



Category: The Last of Us (Video Games)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:01:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29438664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Broodofvipers/pseuds/Broodofvipers
Summary: Slow burn, Joellie goodness. Taking some creative license with this one – Ellie is 25, and Joel is 49. The premise is that Ellie grew up elsewhere, but found her way to Jackson a few years ago. Joel still had his Boston background, had a falling out with Tommy, and eventually tracked him to Jackson. Instead of Esther, insert Ellie.
Relationships: Dina/Jesse (The Last of Us), Ellie/Joel (The Last of Us), Maria/Tommy (The Last of Us)
Comments: 43
Kudos: 62





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, hi! It’s me again. Ms “I don’t have any ideas” McGee. Oh well. They seem to be finding me lately, and have been fun to write, so here I am back again. I don’t know how long this one will be, but will be longer than anything I’ve written in this fandom so far. I also make no promises with posting speed. Will write when I feel inspired and maybe you guys can help keep me motivated. Hopefully won't be too long though, and will probably favor smaller chapters more often rather than giant ones because that's my style when it's not a one-shot. Just going to do what feels write for the pacing. 
> 
> As usual, comments will be moderated. Don’t like, don’t read.

It’s 6pm on Saturday night and it’s the usual mayhem at the Tipsy Bison. Many of the adults in Jackson, Wyoming assemble here on Saturdays – mainly for the alcohol, but sometimes for live music if the right people show up. Ellie and Dina sit at one of the booths in the back, on opposite sides. For now, it’s just the two of them, plus their backpacks and guns situated at the end of the seats on the floor. Ellie’s German Shepherd, Moose, lays half under the table by Ellie’s feet, eyes closed after a long day.  


She scans the room, seeing that enough people are packed in that there’s not much room to move. She picks up on a few unimportant conversations from those close by, but nothing is interesting enough to eavesdrop. Sometimes she can get good stories or gossip. But right now, all that matters is the cool glass of bourbon on ice in her hand.  


“Fuck I’m hungry,” she admits, looking at Dina.  


“Ugh, me too,” answers Dina, taking a sip of her own drink. “And where the Fuck is Jesse? He said he’d be here a while ago.”  


Ellie nods, looking at the door. “Must have been held up.”  


“Yah, well I’m tired of waiting. Want your usual?”  


“Sure, thanks.”  


Dina gets up, going to put in their dinner order. They had an uneventful patrol route today. Moose, ever vigilant and close to Ellie’s heel, never even picked up an errant sound or smell. He’s only one year old but he’s strong and has been trained to not only have good manners and do tricks, but knows how to alert them of infected or strangers. And he won’t attack unless instructed. Maria essentially forced her to promise to take a puppy when his mom was brought to town pregnant. She’s never liked that Ellie lives in a small house about a mile from Jackson by herself, and makes sure to bring it up several times a year. _“Ellie, there’s a nice house for you in town. I’ll save it, ok? In case you ever change your mind,” _she always says. If Ellie wasn’t so stubborn, she wouldn’t hold up to Maria’s persuasive scrutiny. It’s more of a risk to live there but she craves the independence and quiet of her homesteading life.  
__

____

____

Ellie was apprehensive about getting a dog at first. It’s more responsibility, and more work. But, she knows Moose is good for her – not only for safety but also for companionship. Not that she really gets lonely out at her place since she’s in Jackson most days anyway. But sometimes during winter snow storms, she can get stuck for a while. One of her favorite things is watching him play in the snow. He sprints around almost faster than she can track, and leaps at the falling snowflakes. It’s cold as balls outside those days, but his smiling face is worth it. She looks down at him and scratches his head.  


Ellie scans the room, looking for Dina. She finally finds her, standing, laughing with someone from town. Dina is friends with everyone. Ellie knows a lot of people, but isn’t as outgoing. She’s happy being more reserved, but the ones she’s closest to know her very well. Coming to Jackson from the Denver, Colorado quarantine zone wasn’t too big of a change for her but leagues better in every way. A few years ago, the few people she had been closest too had either left or died. There wasn’t anything tying her there anymore. Plus FEDRA living conditions were becoming worse every day. She had heard people talking low and quiet about a promising place – a flourishing, free settlement in Jackson, Wyoming. At first she chalked it up to a lie, but she eventually heard it enough times from different people to believe it. When she got her chance, she took it. There were a few rough moments in the almost 500 mile trek to Jackson, but she’s always been resourceful, smart, and cunning.  


So five years ago in the late summer, she made it. Since she was alone, they brought her inside the walls and brought her straight to Maria. She was intimidating at first, but they quickly warmed to each other, including Maria’s now-husband, Tommy. After a months-long vetting process, they officially brought her into the fold, and she’s been earning her keep ever since. They even admitted to her at one of the many town gatherings that she was one of the strongest they have. Ellie blushed with embarrassment but damn near burst with happiness. She finally had a good life started and was a valued member of their little society. She met Jesse soon after she arrived, and Dina came a few months later. They’ve all been friends now for years.  


Ellie is pulled from her reverie to the sight of Dina carrying their two dinners, along with a smiling Jesse right behind her. Dina sets down their plates filled with steak, a potato, and carrots. They even have fresh butter from the city’s cows. Ellie’s stomach immediately growls from the smell.  


“Well, hello there,” she says, looking at Jesse as he slides into the seat next to Dina. “And where have you been?”  


“Hey, you’re one to talk. How many times were you late this week?”  


“Oh, HA HA,” Ellie says in an exaggerating tone.  


“So, crazy story actually,” Jesse starts as Ellie starts devouring the food on her plate. “We’re out on Patrol, right? I’m with Mark, it’s quiet, nothing out of the ordinary. We were clearing some houses, nothing crazy. We leave one of the houses and of nowhere, we see this guy, clearly armed, coming down the street towards us.”  


Ellie and Dina stop eating to listen, and hang on his every word.  


“He wasn’t pointing his shotgun at us but had it in his hand. But of course we’ve got our guns pointing at him. So we’re like ‘can we help you?’ cause we don’t know what his deal is. He puts his free hand up, like don’t shoot, ya know? Then he asks if we know anything about a settlement in Jackson.”  


“No shit,” Ellie says.  


Jesse nods, eyes all enthused. “Yep. So we’re like ‘what do you know about it?’ And he says he’s looking for his brother. Guess who’s?”  


The possibilities are too many to name, so Ellie just shrugs.  


“Tommy fucking Miller.”  


This shocks the girls immediately. “WHAT?” says Ellie.  


Jesse nods, all smug. “Mmmhmmm.”  


“I didn’t even know he had a brother,” she admits. She’s not upset but she’s pretty close to the Millers. Or at least thought she was. It’s never been brought up.  


They all nod, smiling. “No one did. Except Maria, I guess.”  


Ellie starts eating again, not wanting her food to get cold.  


“So anyway, dude’s name is Joel. We brought him back to the gate, but kept him outside while the tower called for Tommy. It’s legit. Tommy and Maria came out and talked to him, then brought him inside.”  


“Damn. That’s crazy.”  


“Yep, so it looks like we’ve got some fresh meat,” Jesse, jokes rubbing his hands together, as if he can’t wait to give the newcomer a hard time.  


“Well, hopefully he’ll be good for the town. If he stays anyway. And anything like Tommy.”  


Jesse shrugs. “Looks strong, capable. He came from Boston on his own, so you know he knows what he’s doing.”  


“Holy Shit,” says Dina.  


They talk a few more minutes, but ever the fast eater, Ellie finishes everything on her plate, finally full. “Yah, damn. Guess I’ll stop bragging about my 500 miles.”  


They all laugh. She looks outside, seeing the light falling on the horizon, and downs the last swig of her drink.  


“Alright, kids. I gotta go.”  


Dina and Jesse smile at her, knowing they can’t argue with her, and they say quick goodbyes. It’s safest to go when there’s still light. Sometimes if she stays in town too late she’ll crash with Moose at Dina’s house. But tonight she just wants to be home.  


She says her goodbyes and walks to the stables to get Shimmer, lost in thought. She wonders if she’ll run into the Millers tonight, but it’s doubtful. Normally people are taken to be checked out – to make sure they aren’t bitten. Then they’re given temporary housing before being interviewed more and slowly given responsibilities. Although since he’s Tommy’s brother, she wonders if they’ll relax on some of the rules. Probably. But still – it doesn’t really make sense. Tommy came from Boston too. Why didn’t they come together?  


It’s a quick trip to her house as she muses on things. It’s a clear night, and it’s the last hour of light. The sky glows a beautiful orange as the sun makes its way to twilight before a new day full of promises. She gets Shimmer all set for the night and plays with Moose outside with his frisbee quick with what dusk is left. It’s always good to let him run out some energy. It’s a little muddy from a recent rain so she gives him a quick bath and calls it a night. She rarely ever stays up late, both from tiredness but also the requirements of her life. Sometimes it sucks but she’d choose this life over any other.  


She lets her mind wander as she drifts asleep, thinking about her friends, her tranquil space, and all the curiosities of Joel’s arrival.


	2. Chapter 2

Ellie wakes up the next day the same way she has for the past year – Moose whining by her bed. Every night he sleeps in the dog bed at the foot of her bed. She opens her eyes and sees a small amount of pale morning sunlight coming from her bedroom door which normally sits cracked open. She used to lock her bedroom door because she felt more secure that way, but now that he’d unquestionably pick up on any unwelcome and unfamiliar sounds, she likes that he can go to the rest of the small house. If there happened to be a person wandering by, they’d probably get scared off by his menacing barks and especially if they caught a glimpse of him through the window. Most people know not to fuck with a German Shepherd. And if they’re particularly arrogant and stupid, she’d be armed.  


Thankfully her property also sits on a very quiet side of Jackson. It’s farthest from the roads.  


She bends down, scratching Moose on his head. He always greets her excitedly, tail thumping hard on the wood floors.  


“Morning Moose. You been a good boy? Alright, lets get you some breakfast.”  


This time of year she sleeps in a tank top and panties. She grumbles, rising from the warm sheets and puts on some shorts. Not that she has to – no one would see her. But it’s still a little chilly in the morning. She wanders out to the kitchen and gets Moose’s breakfast together – usually meat from Jackson and whatever mix of veggies and potatoes she can get that are okay for dogs.  


A few more quick morning routines and she gets ready and changed for a run. She’s got a few trails close to the house that she’s created over the years. She walks outside, Moose tagging along by her side. She runs with him so they both stay in shape. She’s thin and strong, but healthy. It’s a natural byproduct of this life. The trails can be steep and meandering, so Ellie’s legs are more toned than they’ve ever been. She also wants to be prepared for a horde or bandits at any time. Better to always be prepared in this world. She scans her property and sees nothing out of the ordinary and takes off into the trees.  


Running isn’t easy but it makes her feel connected to nature – the fresh morning dew coats her skin, the chirping of the birds in the morning bounces in her ears. Plus, she lets her mind wander free and uninhibited. She heard that people used to listen to music while they ran. She’s always been jealous of that but also likes the thick forest sounds that surround her and the crunching of leaves and pine needles under her shoes. The smell is one of her favorite things too – she breathes it deep into her lungs, somehow making her a part of all that surrounds her.  


About 45 minutes later, she makes it back home. She takes off her dirty shoes on her covered front porch. It’s one of her favorite parts of the house. On lazy mornings she can sit outside on her bench in the cool of the morning, drinking whatever hot drink she has and watch the sun rise. Her property is a few acres, a flat field in the middle of an expanse of forest. There’s a large gap on the horizon on the front of the house, which overlooks Jackson. It’s not very far from town, but the path up is somewhat steep so at least she can see more than Jackson’s exterior wall. She’d like to add a fence for extra security but hasn’t had time to get around to it yet. For now she’s grateful to have her house and a small stable for Shimmer that she built with the help of a few others from town.  


She goes inside, warmth from the wood stove fireplace hitting her as soon as she’s in. Moose goes and drinks water then lays on his bed in the living room next to the couch. He’s good about only sleeping on his dog beds. He gets lots of baths but gets dirty constantly, since she takes him with her everyday.  


Her house isn’t huge but it’s perfect for her. It’s got a nice sized kitchen that’s open into a comfortable living room easily warmed by the fireplace, plus a large bedroom and full bathroom with a tub. The large bay window in the living room on the front of the house is the other highlight of the house. Even though the front porch sits directly outside of the window, it still gets a lot of sunlight. The window sill is long and deep so she has blankets and cushions. It’s big enough she could even take a nap on it. As much as she hates winter, she can be warm and cozy inside as she watches the snow fall.  


It’s cute and cozy and perfectly her. Most things have their use. Having a homestead isn’t easy. But she’s so content there, and still has things that are so her and make her happy. Books, a record player, her Savage Starlight collection. Even a small TV and video games. She knows there’s a small risk to living out here but to her, it’s worth it. Trading all of this for a larger home to take care of and a lot less privacy has no appeal to her.  


Knowing she has to get a move on to get to work on time, she steeps some hot tea and heats water for her bath. Once ready and dressed for the day, she eats a quick breakfast and cleans the dishes before heading into Jackson. She’s scheduled on one of the tower watches today. It’s boring but it will be nice to just sit and take it easy today. Usually on tower days, she leaves Moose with someone at the stable – pretty much everyone is willing to take him for the day if they’re on stable duty. If anything, it helps her because it wears him out. Thankfully Max, one of her friends, was on duty today, and took him no problem. She’ll pick him up after shift. And Shimmer will be taken care of too. Just another thing Ellie is grateful for.  


It’s an uneventful day on the East Gate. Every once and a while she’ll see infected but unless they wander close, they don’t even bother shooting them. Depending on who’s working sometimes they’ll have some short chatter on the radio to pass the time. But even today it’s pretty quiet. She thinks about how on her walk over, she overheard people talking about Tommy and his brother. She figured they’d be top news. It’s not often someone has family that they assume they’ll never see again show up in one piece. If anything at all, it’s usually news of a death.  


Today she’s off at 4 o’clock. It’s almost that time and she nearly jumps when her radio goes off.  


“Tower East One – Ellie come in, over.”  


Huh. Tommy wasn’t working a shift today.  


“Copy, Tommy.”  


“Go to two.”  


She switches to channel two.  


“Go ahead,” she says.  


“Hey, I ended up with Moose boy on my hands. You ok to pick him up at our house?”  


“Oh, sure! Be by in a few minutes.”  


“Copy. Tommy out.”  


She switches her radio back to the main channel.  


This happens sometimes. Tommy was probably at the stables and Max needed to go or something. She’s just glad he called over so she knew to go straight there. A few minutes pass and her relief comes, signaling the end to her shift. She descends the stairs and takes the few minutes-long stroll over to the Miller’s.  


She turns the last corner and Moose sees her and runs at her ecstatic at full speed. He’s been trained to not jump so she lowers to his level on her knees.  


“Hey my boy, how are ya? Oh good boy, yes I missed you too,” she says laughing and petting him as he licks her face. She finally looks up to see not only Tommy, but also Maria. And someone she’s never seen before.  


The man is at ease, observing her, but she can see the slightest smile on the corner of his mouth that disappears almost as soon as she saw it. His clothes are a little ill-fitting: jeans, a little too baggy, and a light blue plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. That’s most often the case for newcomers. He might have to wait for some patrols to get some clothes that fit better. He can use what they have in the meantime. Even with the looseness of the clothing, she can tell he’s thick with muscle. His shoulders are broad, and his arms completely fill out the sleeves of his shirt. There’s few men in Jackson that even come close to that having that brute strength.  


He’s clearly much older than her, older than Tommy even. His hair is dark brown, peppered with grey. There’s both a weariness and wisdom etched on the deep lines of his face. She’s intrigued to say the least.  


She gets up and walks over to them now that Moose has calmed down.  


“Hey!”  


“Well hey there!” starts Tommy.  


“How’d you end up with Moose?”  


“Ah, you know how it is. Maria had to send Max to help with something so I got roped in,” he says, smiling at her and winks at Maria.  


“I see. Well, thank you.”  


“You know it’s never a problem. Hey, wanted you to meet someone since you’re here. This here’s my brother, Joel.”  


Her eyes wander back to him, and he nods, and extends his hand. Ellie takes it, and even though the handshake is quick, his strong hand is warm and rough, and envelopes hers. But he’s still gentle.  


“I’m Ellie.”  


“Joel. Nice to meet you.”  


“You, too. Word travels fast. I saw Jesse yesterday. He’s one of the ones you met first. Outside.”  


“Oh, right. Sure appreciated his help.”  


Tommy jumps in again. “Hey, you know Ellie here travelled this way on her own too. From Denver.”  


“Yah, well, 500 miles is nothing compared to what you went through, I’m sure.”  


Joel chuckles and rubs his beard. “I suppose. I mean, I wasn’t on my own the whole time but for most of it, yah.”  


“So, you planning on staying?” Ellie can’t help but ask. She quickly realizes maybe she shouldn’t have. Maybe it’s something they haven’t discussed.  


“We’re talkin’ ‘bout it, but that seems to be the plan. If everyone’s ok with it,” says Joel, putting her immediately at ease.  


“Great. Well, we can always use more capable people around here, that’s for sure. Although, if you’re anything like Tommy….” Ellie says jokingly.  


“Hey, what’d I ever do you to, huh?” Tommy says as they all laugh.  


“Was hopin’ he changed,” Joel says, jumping in without missing a beat.  


“Alright, no more dog sittin’ and no more Jackson for you pal,” replies Tommy.  


Ellie looks at Joel again. He’s not laughing but his eyes are soft. Beautiful complex hazel eyes. He also has a thick but trimmed beard, soft looking lips….  


“Hey Ellie, you and Tommy are on patrol tomorrow together, right?” Maria asks, snapping her out of her daydream.  


“Yah unless something changed.”  


Tommy shakes his head, indicating that’s not the case.  


“Why don’t you come to dinner tomorrow night?”  


"You sure?”  


“Yah, we’d love to have you. Tell Dina and Jesse too if you see them. We can make a night out of it.”  


“Alright, sure, that’d be great. Haven’t done one in a while.”  


Tommy claps his brother on the shoulder. “Got lots to celebrate, huh.”  


Maria smiles at the guys then looks back at Ellie. “Great! You can always crash here too if you want, since it’ll be late.”  


“Oh yah, maybe. But I’ll probably just stay at Dina’s.”  


“Well, if you need to, it’s not a problem. Hate to think of you going out after dark.”  


“You live outside?” Joel asks, with what looks like a tiny hint of concern that he’s trying hard to hide. But there’s no way that’s what it is. Can’t be.  


“Oh, uhuh. Have a place by myself about a mile away. Close enough but far enough,” Ellie says smiling.  


He looks a little taken aback but nods and doesn’t say anything further.  


“Well, speaking of, best get on my way while there’s still light. I’ll see all of you tomorrow I guess.”  


“Especially me,” Tommy says, winking at Ellie this time.  


“Can’t wait,” she replies sarcastically.  


She smiles at this gaggle of Millers but before she leaves, she sneaks one last quick glance at Joel. He’s watching her with every bit of intensity that he had from the beginning.  


Ellie goes back home and takes care of the chores around the house. After dinner she settles onto her couch and reads while nursing another cup of hot tea from preserved herbs from her garden. When she’s ready for bed, she curls under the sheets and can’t help but replay pieces of the conversation from earlier. But above all, she has a feeling she can’t shake - she’s excited for tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll - thank you for the wonderful, kind words. I so greatly appreciate it. And I hope you enjoy this chapter. It was a really fun one to write.

The next morning Ellie gets ready quick since their patrol is leaving by 8. When she gets to Jackson’s stable, she dismounts Shimmer so she can tell Dina and Jesse about dinner, which they accept. They make small talk for a few minutes until Tommy walks up and they head out in their groups of two.  


The rest of the morning is quiet except she takes out one infected runner with her bow, as stealth as ever, as her and Tommy make their way to the ski lookout so they can mark the logbook and eat before heading out again.  


“Who’s marking it?” Ellie asks, pointing to the book as they walk inside.  


“I got it,” replies Tommy.  


He walks over the counter and starts scribbling as she walks over to the table, grabbing her food from her bag and filling a bowl of water for Moose.  


Tommy mumbles to himself as he writes until he gets loud enough that she can hear him say, “and that red-headed bitch took out a runner…”  


Ellie throws a saltshaker from the table at him, hitting him squarely in the back as he turns to judge her reaction, giant cocky smile on his face.  


“I will kill you Thomas,” she says, and they both laugh.  


He walks over, grabbing his own food.  


"No you won’t, you love me too damn much.”  


“Mmhmmm. If that's what you have to believe in order to sleep at night, be my guest.”  


They take a couple of bites of their lunch and settle into their chairs. Moose is between them, watching their every move.  


“Moose, down,” Ellie says, making the palm down sign for him to lay down. He obeys immediately but keeps looking back and forth between them.  


Ellie’s always enjoyed Tommy’s company. He’s smart when he wants to be but can be goofy in a charming way. But he’s loyal and protective. He’s been in her corner since the beginning. She wishes she could go on more patrols with him, but she’d never admit it to him because he’d never let her live it down.  


She looks out the windows in their comfortable silence.  


“You ever think that we’ll ever clean the windows in here? They’re so gross. And it’d be a nice view,” she says.  


“Seems to me like you jus' volunteered,” he says, looking at her expectantly.  


“Ok great, then I volunteer you to do the outside then.”  


"Now, now. I’m Jackson’s favorite, girl. I mean, could you imagine? Can’t risk it.”  


“Oh really? Hmm ok. Well then, how many people would miss you, huh?”  


“Ellie, it’s the whole damn town,” he replies, really sticking with every ounce of his fake sincerity.  


She laughs.  


“Well, at least two anyway. One ‘cause she married me. The other ‘cause he’s related,” he finally admits.  


They both laugh but fall into silence again for a few more minutes. Tommy is acting like himself, but he’s usually more talkative than this. He finishes his food except for one bite, which he gives to a very happy Moose, who scarfs it down in about one second.  


“You’re kinda quiet today,” Ellie says, looking at him.  


“I guess.”  


“Because of Joel?”  


Tommy looks down at the table, nodding yes very slightly. He clears his throat. “Yah, I mean, glad he’s here of course but it was a shock. We uh…..we ended on a fight, so I figured I’d never see him again.”  


“Wow,” she says, and ponders this new information. She debates her next statement but goes through with it anyway. “You never even told me you have a brother.”  


“Yah. Guess I jus' didn’t want to deal with it. Jus' easier not to talk about it.”  


“I understand. Makes sense.” She pauses a moment. “You think you’ll be ok now? I mean, now that he’s here.”  


He looks at her, smiling a little. “I think so. The fact that he came here says a lot. It’s nothin’ that we can’t work through, ya know?”  


“That’s good.”  


“Sure is. And like you said we could use more like him around. And you should know – we all have our past but you can trust him, ok? I mean, I know we have to make it look like we’re vettin' him and all but he’ll do Jackson good. And I’ll probably put you two on patrols together and a few others sometimes so he’s not just stuck with me all the time, if that’s alright.”  


Ellie’s mind is reeling but steels herself. “Yah, whatever we need.”  


“Oh and Ellie – if it’s not too much to ask, can you help keep an eye out for 'im? He can be a hermit sometimes, especially if he don’t know anyone. I don’t mean it as a big ask, just if anythin' comes up, keep him in mind. Friends’ll be good for him. Especially in the beginnin’.”  


“Of course.”  


“Good. Now speakin' of, we need to stop by one of the places that got clothes on the way back so he can have some that actually fit and will be able to make said friends.”  


Ellie laughs. “I noticed they were a little baggy, but I wasn’t going to judge. Just figured all the Miller men had bad taste in clothes.”  


“Alright you menace, let’s go,” he says laughing and nudges her shoulder with his own as they get up from their seats.  


As they leave, Ellie peaks at the logbook.  


_"Ellie had a great kill of a runner with her bow. Quick and quiet. No others spotted." _  
__

__She smiles.  
_ _

* * *

____

____

They go down to one of the strip malls that has a couple clothing stores. They walk the length of it, looking inside. Every store has at least one window smashed, but there’s no sign of any other type of trouble. Moose thoroughly sniffs around but doesn’t indicate any warning. If he senses anything, he’ll have a low growl. The first store is picked clean. But the next one seems to have a lot of men’s clothing and boots. Ellie follows Tommy down the aisles, and Moose stands guard by her leg, ears scanning and rotating.  


“You got his sizes?”  


“Uh, yah. Told 'im we’d try to look today if we could. Here,” Tommy says, handing her a piece of paper.  


“Oh, I mean, I’ll just help. I don’t really know him.”  


Tommy laughs. “Yah, look for some jeans if you don’t mind. I’ll go look at the shirts. And underwear, unless you’d….”  


Ellie huffs and cuts him off. “No, that’s your job.”  


“Okay, tighty whities here I come,” he says laughing as he walks away.  


“Same taste again, huh?” she shouts to him about to turn the corner. He flips the bird as he disappears around the corner.  


She looks down at the paper, scanning over neat penmanship. It seems so oddly personal even though it’s just numbers on a paper. Just at a quick glance, it does seem like these would fit better than what he had on yesterday. She thumbs through the jeans and finds several of the right size and length. Tall, she thinks. She even finds a couple pair of more dressy but still casual pants of a few colors. Could be nice for some variety. Just when she’s finished and has an armful, Tommy rounds the corner.  


“Think he’d like these?” He asks, holding up a few plaid or plain colored long sleeve shirts.  


“I don’t know he’s YOUR brother and I’ve known him all of five minutes.”  


“Yah but this seems like him, don’t it?”  


“Ok, sure.”  


She’d like to see him in any of them. But the green - that will probably bring out his eyes the most. _Fuck Ellie, calm down. You don’t even know him. _  
__

____

____

“Okay, good. Well, I got some other t-shirts and such. Shorts for sleepin’ and what not. And a couple heavier jackets. Gonna need them later in the year. Found some bags too.”  


Tommy hands her a duffel bag, and they both fill them to the brim.  


“Good haul.”  


“Yep. Now jus' need a few pairs of boots and we can head back home.”  


They find an assortment of various footwear he’ll need and some other athletic shoes and sandals. Even if he doesn’t want them, they can give them to someone who will.  


They fill a third bag and head back to the horses.  


One more step for Joel to feel at home.  


* * *

They finish the rest of their patrol and make it back to Jackson without a hitch. They stop at the stable for the horses and Ellie feeds Moose quick. It’s not like it takes him long at all to scarf down his meal.  


They’re only a tiny bit late to get home because of their side errand. They walk inside Tommy and Maria’s house, Ellie going in first.  


“Smells good!” Ellie says as the delicious smell of dinner hits her the second she’s inside and she pauses to remove her shoes, dirty from the day’s travels. Moose trots in and she puts his water bowl down again and fills it.  


“Hey guys!” Dina says from the living room. “In here!”  


They follow the sound.  


Dina and Jesse are on one couch. Joel is on another. They all have a cold beer in their hands. Once Moose is done drinking, he wanders around collecting pets and smelling everyone’s legs. He gives Joel a lot of attention since he’s the new one.  


“Hey boy,” Joel says, letting him smell his hand then scratching his head. He must remember him from yesterday.  


"Long day?” asks Dina as Ellie leans on frame of the wall.  


“Yah, a little. One runner today,” she says to them. Then she looks at Joel, “And found some clothes and shoes for you. It’s a couple bags worth, so you should be good. Or at least a good start.”  


Joel looks a little thrown, but appreciative. “Oh I didn’t expect you to…”  


“It’s alright,” Tommy says, rounding the corner and puts his hand on Ellie’s shoulder. “We were out, it was no trouble at all. Plus she’s got that female eye for things,” he says, winking at her.  


She laughs and shakes her head.  


“Want a beer?”  


“Yah, I’ll come with though, gotta say hi to Maria.”  


They wander to the kitchen. Tommy goes to the fridge for their drinks.  


“Hey Maria!”  


“Hey Ellie. And hey you,” she says, smiling and accepting a kiss on the cheek from Tommy. He hands Ellie an open beer bottle.  


“Need any help? I feel bad just showing up at the end.”  


“Don’t worry about it! You guys were all out today. Joel pitched in a lot.”  


“Alright, well, if I can help set the table or anything…”  


Maria smiles, but grabs her by the shoulders and leads her out of the kitchen.  


“Go, relax. Dinner soon.”  


Ellie collects herself for a second and smooths down her hair. She walks into the living room and sits on the opposite end of the couch that Joel is on. Moose is passed out in front of the TV, splayed on his side.  


“So, how was your patrol today?” Ellie asks Dina and Jesse.  


“Fine, found some supplies. Saved this one’s ass,” Dina says, smiling at Jesse.  


Joel once again is paying attention but stoic in his usual way.  


“Um, I think you’re remembering it wrong,” Jesse replies.  


“Hey, that giant ass rat would have kept running at us ok? My scream saved us.”  


Ellie risks another quick glance at Joel. It’s barely there but she can see a hint of a smile.  


“Sure! Ok. But you’re not going to mention the clicker that came after us then, huh?”  


Dina laughs, digging her head into Jesse’s shoulder as she leans into him. They’ve been on and off again forever but they’ve been back on again for a while.  


“I mean, it could have had rabies. It looked fucking terrifying. Honestly, you owe me.”  


“Yah, yah,” Jesse says, and they continue their small talk but in a conversation for just the two of them.  


Which leaves Ellie on the couch with Joel. Assuming he won’t speak up first, she does.  


“So, you have a good day? Settling in?”  


He makes eye contact with her for a second then his eyes start wandering the room and his drink. “Oh, sure. Walked around, met a few more people. Nice town you all got.”  


“Yah, it is.”  


He turns towards her a little so he can look at her a little better. “You been here how long?”  


“Um, about five years.”  


“From Denver, Tommy said.”  


“Mmmhhmm.”  


“From a Quarantine Zone?”  


“Yah. That’s why I left. Things were getting worse. Violence, food shortages. I um….the ties I had there were gone so I came here after I kept hearing about the Jackson promised land. Wasn’t sure it was real.”  


“I see. And I’m uh, sorry. You know, about that,” he says uncomfortably.  


“That’s the world now I guess.”  


They sit for a few moments in quiet. Dina and Jesse are laughing about something else.  


“I came from the Boston QZ. Same deal.”  


“Well, for what it’s worth, Jackson’s a good place. A good place for a fresh start.”  


One side of his mouth twitches up into a smile. For a few short seconds their eyes search each other before they go back to nursing their drinks.  


“Alright children, dinner is ready,” Tommy says loudly, entering the room.  


They all get up, smiles on their faces. Moose even picks up his head. He’ll follow when he realizes that it’s their dinner time.  


They filter into the room, to the six-seated dining table. Maria takes the head of the table closest to the kitchen and Tommy takes the chair facing her. Then Dina and Jesse sit on one side, Joel and Ellie on the other. Of course Moose wanders in, sitting between Ellie and Joel. Everything smells so good. Maria baked a chicken. And they have sweet potatoes, green beans, and rolls from the bakery. There’s always fresh butter too, even in their houses.  


“Did everyone wash their hands?” Maria asks.  


“Shit,” Tommy says, jumping up and quickly walks into the kitchen.  


“Was he always this bad?” Maria asks Joel.  


“Worse,” Joel says, making them all laugh.  


“I heard that,” Tommy yells, slightly muted from the kitchen.  


Tommy walks just as quickly back to his seat.  


By now, everyone at the table except Joel is used to meal times at the Miller’s – they reach their hands out in order for Maria to pray. Ellie places her hand in Maria’s on one side and Joel’s on the other – he didn’t hesitate at all. As Maria prays, all Ellie can think about is the hand in her left. They’re just holding palm to palm but just like yesterday, his hand feels so good in hers – warm, strong, rough. But he’s gentle in a way that makes her think he’s going out of his way to pay attention, like it's on purpose. All too soon, the moment is over and they all drop their hands.  


“Amen,” they all say.  


“Alright, dig in!” Maria says.  


They pass the food around and talk more about their days for the first few minutes. Sounds like it was a pretty quiet day everywhere. Quiet is always good. Moose lays down after Ellie tells him to.  


“So, you gonna live here with them?” Jesse asks to continue their conversation, looking at Joel.  


“He absolutely sure as hell will not,” Tommy replies, making them all laugh.  


Maria continues, more politely and gives her husband the stink eye. “He can stay as long as he needs to until he’s settled in. But I’m giving him the house up on Rancher Street. Ellie, you know I was saving it, but we’re kinda tight on space right now,” she says, looking at her.  


Ellie smiles. “I told you, I’m planning on staying where I am now. I don’t need it.”  


“Wait, that’s your house? I don’t want to take…” Joel says, looking flustered, putting his hands up like he’s pushing the idea away.  


“It’s fine really, it's not mine. I’ve never needed it. I have my place. It’s better that house gets used finally,” Ellie replies.  


“If you’re sure…” he says, still questioning.  


Ellie turns, looking at him fully. “I’m sure. It’s a great place. If you feel that bad, then make me dinner or something.”  


“Alright, deal,” he says.  


Ellie didn’t expect him to say that at all and it catches her completely off guard. She’s still figuring him out but he looks completely serious. He doesn’t seem like the type to lie about something like that either. Her eyes get wide and her mouth could probably catch a fly in that moment but just before she does something stupid, Tommy saves her.  


“Well, sounds like it’s all settled then. It’s even got two porches, Joel. Could find you a guitar at some point so you could play again.”  


“Oh, guitar player, huh? We could use more of those around here,” Dina bursts out. “Are you good?”  


Joel looks shy. “I’m not bad I guess.”  


“Ellie, didn’t you say you wanted to learn at some point?”  


She was in the middle of drinking the last of her beer and she nearly chokes.  


“Oh, uhhh, sure. I think I mentioned it when we went by that music store that one day.”  


“You said it would be badass to learn,” Dina says, smiling at her.  


“I mean, I don’t remember every word that comes out of my mouth but sure. It’d be badass,” she says, then turns to Joel. “You can ignore all of this by the way. Dina is just trying to distract us from the rat story from today,” she says loudly, quickly and dramatically turning her head and pointing across the table at Dina.  


“You guys, it was like five pounds, I’m not even joking. A boater could eat it as a meal,” Dina says, laughing. She’s in a good mood tonight.  


“Could have fried it up instead of the chicken,” Jesse adds.  


The group is in various states of laughter, but Ellie can feel Joel’s gaze still on her.  


“Alright, alright, enough of the damn rat,” says Jesse. “You guys going to the open mic night tomorrow at the church? Should be another good time.”  


“Depends…” Ellie starts, “…on if Tommy is going to reprise any of his karaoke classics. If so, I think I’ll take a hard pass.”  


Tommy puts on a good show of being hurt, even putting his hand over his heart. “Now Ellie, I was just tryin' to bring some true Texas classics to this town, alright?”  


“I’ve heard you sing, boy. Doubt you did them justice,” counters Joel.  


“Ouch! Guess we should have dessert to smooth over all this sibling rivalry, huh?” Jesse says.  


Maria gets up, laughing at everyone's antics. “You guys clean up and I’ll get everything ready for cake.”  


They all start to get up but Tommy and Joel jump in first, taking care of it for them, leaving Ellie, Dina, and Jesse to keep talking. A few minutes later, they all return and enjoy their dessert and then start to disperse – some helping to clean, some going to the living room. Ellie takes the chance to use the bathroom and when she comes out, she happens to see the back of Joel as he disappears onto the back porch. She debates for a moment but decides she wants to try to talk to him more. She goes and grabs another beer from the fridge on her way outside. She opens the door and finds him alone, leaning over the banister. He turns and straightens up a little when he sees her. She settles into one of the chairs close by.  


She can’t help but notice he’s in baggy clothes again, but a different shirt this time. He could have changed when they brought him his new stuff, but he didn’t. She smiles internally, thinking about this easygoing confidence he possesses. He knows people have probably noticed because they're just baggy enough to look a little silly…and he doesn’t care.  


"You all right?” she asks, bringing herself back to the present.  


“Yah, I’m fine.”  


“I’m sure you are. I just...I remember what it’s like. Finally making it here, seeing all this. Having friends, family,” she says, nodding towards the house. “And all the food. That part is still…” she trails off.  


He nods. “Been years since I’ve been this full. Maria's a good cook.”  


“Yah, think I’d be even skinnier without her and Tommy dragging me over here all the time.”  


Joel looks over at her quick, eyes glancing down her body before he catches himself and looks her in the eyes. “Seem thin enough girl. You might have three Millers on your case now.”  


She laughs, and even his face looks less reserved than usual. “Lucky me.”  


“I did offer dinner. You know, at some point. When I get settled in,” he says, looking at her and watching her every move. “I might not be a better cook than Maria, but I’m definitely better than Tommy.”  


“I’d tell him you said that but don’t want to be cut off from your kitchen so soon,” Ellie blurts out before she realizes what it sounds like. _DAMMIT ELLIE. Could you sound any more desperate? He said one dinner. _“I mean, for my health and all. Very important,” she quickly adds.  
__

__This time Joel has a full smile on his face, laughing a puff of air out of his nose. Other than that, he seems unphased by what she said.  
_ _

___Thank god. _  
__ _ _

___“You mean it though? About the house I mean. It’s ok that I take it? Wouldn’t feel right takin’ it from you.”  
_ _ _

___She lowers her mouth from taking another sip from her bottle. “Yah, for sure. I never wanted it. Maria is just being…Maria.”  
_ _ _

___“Alright then.”  
_ _ _

___“And you know what? It’s got a nice closet too. For all those new clothes.”  
_ _ _

___He smiles again, nodding. “Sounds good. Haven’t had a place like that since…” he starts but trails off. It’s clear he’s done with the thought.  
_ _ _

___“Alright, well, better be getting back inside before they miss us too much,” says Ellie, standing. She pauses a few short feet away from him. “Oh, and hey – the music thing tomorrow night…you should come. I’m sure we’ll all be there. They’re fun, we just drink, hang out.”  
_ _ _

___His eyes flicker across her face for the quickest of moments. “Alright, I will,” he answers warmly.  
_ _ _

___“Ok good. A lot of people go. You’ll know the whole town in no time.”  
_ _ _

“I suppose. But I’ve met a lot of good ones already,” he says and looks at her like there’s a hint of something to his words. _Does he mean me? _Her stomach does a pleasant but unexpected flip.  
__

____

____

___She smiles, unable to help it, and turns to the door. “You coming too?” She asks, putting her hand on the door handle.  
_ _ _

___He pushes himself fully off the banister.  
_ _ _

___“Yah, suppose I should.”  
_ _ _

___Ellie opens the door and he grabs it above her, holding it open as she walks through. They all hang out a little longer before Ellie heads to Dina’s for the night. They talk for a few minutes but they both have to be up early again for a patrol together.  
_ _ _

Ellie lays on the couch, eyes wide open. Her mind can’t stop wandering back to Joel and everything they talked about today. He seems so forward and direct about things. But maybe he didn’t mean anything by it. He probably didn’t. Like the dinner invitation. Maybe he’s just being nice and trying to quickly fit into Jackson. But then again – he made a point to bring it up a second time. 

_He doesn’t like you Ellie. He barely knows you. You’re half his age. Or maybe that’s appealing? Guys like younger women, right? But no, he won’t like you, Ellie. He obviously thinks you’re too skinny. But then again he's also paying attention…. _  
__

_I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know. _  
__

____

__

___It takes her a long time to find a restless sleep. But once again, there’s more promise in tomorrow.  
_ _ _


	4. Chapter 4

After her shift the following day, Ellie picks up Moose and brings him back to Dina’s. She could bring him to the open mic night, but with events this big and so many people, it’s just easier to have him somewhere safe. She changes into a tank top so she looks more casual, careful not to mess up her hair that she pinned up today. She looks at herself in the mirror. She feels pretty today. Maybe it’s her skin, now that she’s getting tanner and more sun kissed after winter, or maybe it’s her plentiful freckles. Or maybe it’s that she’s happier and more hopeful about certain things.  


She’s glad that she gets to see Joel tonight.  


She hears Dina and Jesse come in, so she goes out to meet them. They go to Jackson’s barbeque place for dinner on their way over to kill some time, and it’s just easier since they all worked today.  


After, they make their way over to the church. There’s already a ton of people around – everyone seems to be walking in the same direction. Since they want to snag good seats, the trio of friends walk straight into the large square room as soon as they get there. It’s several thousand square feet, but it always has a nice ambiance – especially at night. It’s mainly lit from the strung globe lights that stay up year round, but there’s brighter lights up on the stage. Usually they’ll do a blend of live music and karaoke, depending on who shows up.  


They scan the room. There’s several groups huddled around in chairs, but there’s plenty left to choose from. They decide on a circle towards the back – it’s close to the bar and is a little quieter so you can actually have a conversation. Ellie tries to be subtle but watches where Dina and Jesse sit first. She wants to sit by Joel if she can. Thankfully they situate themselves at the very edge, so she sits next to Dina. That leaves three chairs for the three Millers.  


“You ladies stay put. I’ll get us drinks,” offers Jesse, getting up.  


“Thanks Babe!” Says Dina.  


Ellie tries to relax but she can’t help but keep looking at the door.  


“So, Joel,” Dina says, looking at Ellie.  


“What? They here?” Ellie asks, scanning the room, trying to spot the Millers, not sure how she missed them.  


Dina laughs. “No, dummy. Did you get the scoop from Tommy on patrol? About Joel I mean.”  


“Oh! Sure, we talked a little about it.”  


“So, what’d he say?” Dina asks, leaning in.  


“Well, they had a falling out which is why they got separated. But Joel came here for him and to hopefully start a life here too. Sounds like they’ll fix things.”  


“Damn. Well he made it all this way. And seems like he wants to settle in. Plus….” She starts, looking to make sure Jesse is still away. “I didn’t say this but he’s _hot _.”  
__

__Ellie laughs, shaking her head.  
_ _

__“What? You don’t think so?” Dina asks, looking surprised.  
_ _

__"I didn’t say that!”  
_ _

__“Alright, well, all I’m saying is he’s a hot, single bachelor whose family happens to love you and who seems like a gentleman. And you’ve been by yourself for a long time lady.”  
_ _

__Jesse gets back just in time, handing them their beers.  
_ _

__“What’d I miss?”  
_ _

__“I was asking Ellie about Tommy and Joel. Tell ya later. They’ll probably be here soon.”  
_ _

__Just then, someone jumps on one of the microphones, making a few announcements before a guy goes onstage to play guitar. He’s at least one of the better ones. They all talk for a few more minutes, when Ellie looks up to see the three Millers walking in. Tommy and Maria come in first, with Joel trailing behind. And fuck, he’s wearing the green shirt. She can’t help but do a quick once-over of him now that he has clothes that finally fit. And they fit perfectly. His sleeves are rolled up again revealing those thick and defined forearms, but the shirt doesn’t leave a lot of extra room for his biceps and chest. It squeezes his form perfectly and the shirt trials down to his thin waist. And his jeans are straight and fitted, no longer baggy and hanging off his body. Ellie has to stop herself from staring.  
_ _

__“Here they are,” Ellie says to Dina and Jesse since their backs are to the door.  
_ _

__“Oh good,” Dina says, turning and waving to them.  
_ _

__They finally spot them and start walking over, but someone stops Maria to talk, so Tommy lingers with her. Joel nods at them to be polite then walks up to the sitting trio. Ellie’s glad he’s comfortable enough with them to come over alone. Or did he want to make sure he got the spot next to her? _Stop it, Ellie. You’re just reading into things as usual. _  
___ _

___“Evenin’,” Joel says, offering a small smile to the group. Then he looks at Ellie and points to the chair next to her. “May I?”  
_ _ _

___“Yah, of course.”  
_ _ _

___He eases himself into the chair. “How ya’ll doin’?”  
_ _ _

___“Great,” Dina says, looping her arm through Jesse’s.  
_ _ _

___“Good, and you?” Ellie responds.  
_ _ _

___“Doin’ jus’ fine, thank you.”  
_ _ _

___“I see you’re wearing the new threads,” Ellie says, looking down at his shirt so he gets what she’s saying.  
_ _ _

He crosses his arms, grabbing onto his biceps in acknowledgement before settling with his arms crossed. _And looks damn good doing it. _  
__

_____“Yah, they sure are nice. Went through the bags, ya’ll scrounged up a lot.”  
_ _ _ _ _

___“Well, we got what we could. And what Tommy thought you’d like.”  
_ _ _

___He hums in acknowledgement. “Oh, an’ you were right.”  
_ _ _

___“About what?” Ellie asks, but laughs, not having any clue what he means.  
_ _ _

___“About the closet space. Lots ‘a room.”  
_ _ _

___“Oh, right,” she responds, laughing. “You move in today?”  
_ _ _

___“Well, if you can call it that. I went on a patrol with Tommy to start to get the lay ‘a the land. But we stopped by after, took the bags over.”  
_ _ _

___“Good. You like it?”  
_ _ _

___“I do. More than I need, but it’ll do. It’s bare bones now but I can start to get stuff for it as I’m out too.”  
_ _ _

___“Yah, that definitely helps. I’ve gotten stuff over the years, so it feels homier. I just want to add a fence around the front but it’s a few acres so I know it’ll take a while.”  
_ _ _

___Joel’s eyes light up for a fraction of a moment, then he speaks. “Well, you know, I used to work in construction….”  
_ _ _

___Just then, Tommy and Maria walk up with drinks in their hands. Tommy has two.  
_ _ _

___“Well, howdy,” says Tommy. “Here you go,” he says, handing Joel a drink.  
_ _ _

___“Oh, thank ya.”  
_ _ _

___“Ellie, I put your name in for karaoke, you’ll be up first,” Tommy says, settling into his chair, arm around Maria’s shoulders.  
_ _ _

___“HA HA. Comedy night is next week.”  
_ _ _

___They all laugh, even Joel.  
_ _ _

___“Oh Ellie, life would be boring without your quick wit,” says Maria, smiling warmly at her.  
_ _ _

___They continue talking and about an hour later they’re still sitting around, couple of drinks in. Joel is still quiet at times, but he jumps into the conversation when he feels comfortable. He’s not necessarily a man of few words, but he’s selective about what he wants to say. Ellie likes this about him. He’s smart, calculated, and seems to prioritize listening over speaking. He can be funny too. He’s good, easy company.  
_ _ _

There happens to be a small lull in their conversation when Cindy and Krystle walk up, sticking to the Miller side of the group. Ellie has to control her face. These women are both in their thirties. And single. They’re nice, but Ellie has never been particularly close to either of them. They’re notorious around Jackson for being flirts, and generally reek of desperation. _Maybe that’s too mean._ Ellie eyes them, seeing how most of their attention is on Joel. _Nah, it fits._  


_____ _

_____ _

___Hey guys!” Krystle says. “We wanted to meet the newcomer!” she says, looking at Joel.  
_ _ _

_________He clears his throat and stands to be polite.  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___“Hello. I’m Joel. Tommy’s brother.”  
_ _ _

___“I’m Krystle,” she says, shaking his hand.  
_ _ _

___"Cindy,” says, also introducing herself and shaking his hand next.  
_ _ _

___“Word travels fast,” Krystle says.  
_ _ _

___“Yah, that’s what Ellie here tells me,” Joel replies, looking down at her. She smiles. _Good, Joel. Keep bringing me up. _  
___ _ _

___“So you’re at that house on Rancher?”  
_ _ _

___“Uh, yep. As of today.”  
_ _ _

___“Well, welcome to Jackson officially then. That’s a nice place. We’re a couple streets over,” says Cindy.  
_ _ _

___“Yah, we share a house. Single lady’s party house,” Krystle laughs.  
_ _ _

___Joel barely acknowledges what she says.  
_ _ _

___She was probably hoping for a more excited reaction but seems to pick up on his mood. “Well, once you’re settled, maybe you can come for dinner at some point.”  
_ _ _

“Very kind offer, thank you.” _Hmm. He didn’t say no. But didn’t say yes either._  


“Alright, well we’ll let you get back to it. It was nice meeting you and I’m sure we’ll see you around!” says Krystle.  


___“Evenin’.”  
_ _ _

___They turn and walk away, and Joel sits back down.  
_ _ _

___“Thought you’d at least get a few more days of peace, damn,” says Tommy. “You did always have a way with the ladies.”  
_ _ _

___“Tommy,” Joel says, sternly, then goes back to staring at the stage.  
_ _ _

___“Hey, jus’ sayin’. Could do you some good, is all.”  
_ _ _

___“I really don’ need your help with my love life, thank you.”  
_ _ _

___“He’s right, honey,” says Maria, putting her arm around Tommy. “Let your poor brother be.”  
_ _ _

___Joel seems to be a little more reserved for a while, but he notices when Ellie’s drink gets low and goes and gets them both another round. Their group’s conversation lulls a little, just a few comments here and there on the songs or singers as they’re up on the stage. After another song ends, someone jumps on the microphone – last chance for anyone that plays an instrument before they turn on the karaoke machine.  
_ _ _

___“There you go, Joel! You going to grace us with your presence up on stage? You said you can play. Could be a first great Jackson introduction,” Ellie offers.  
_ _ _

___“Uh, no,” he replies, looking embarrassed of the idea.  
_ _ _

___“Oh, come on. Seems like you’ve got some fans already.”  
_ _ _

___He smirks. “Cute.”  
_ _ _

___“Well, I’m patient AND persistent. I’ll get it out of you one day.”  
_ _ _

___Ellie watches him, dumbfounded as he tips his head to the side and has a look that she could only describe as playful. Maybe even a bit flirty. Although a word like that seems like a stretch for this man.  
_ _ _

___“Hmmmm. Maybe. Probably make you work for it though,” he says before his face turns his usual neutral form again.  
_ _ _

_The things this man says._  


_____“Hey, Ellie?” Tommy says, snapping her back to the present.  
_ _ _ _ _

___“Yah?”  
_ _ _

___“Somethin’ came up tomorrow so I can’t patrol with you.”  
_ _ _

___“Oh. Beauty sleep?”  
_ _ _

___“Very funny. I’m puttin’ you with Joel instead,” he says, talking to them both now.  
_ _ _

___“He came with me today so he knows the Wilson route. Figure you guys could do that one again tomorrow. We’ll shuffle a few others around to make it work.”  
_ _ _

___“Alright, sounds good. Speaking of, I should probably head out. It’s already late.”  
_ _ _

___“You sure Ellie? It’s dark. You know you can stay over again!” says Dina, pulling herself out of her conversation with Jesse.  
_ _ _

___“I know. I just hate to be away from my place for that long.”  
_ _ _

___She feels a hand gently touch her right arm that drops almost as quick as he touched her. It’s Joel. “I’ll walk you back.”  
_ _ _

___“No, you don’t have to, it’s just a mile…”  
_ _ _

___He cuts her off. “I insist. It’s dark, and I’d hate for you to be alone out there. And I gotta make sure my patrol partner makes it safely home or else what would I do tomorrow?” He offers, smiling warmly.  
_ _ _

___Ellie could try to come up with more excuses. But she doesn’t really want to. And the fact that he’s even offering…  
_ _ _

___“Alright, if you really want to that bad.”  
_ _ _

___He smiles as they both get up.  
_ _ _

___“Goodnight, folks,” she says, looking around at everyone. Dina’s smile is extra large. Ellie gives her a face of warning to back off that only she sees.  
_ _ _

___Joel trails Ellie as they make their way outside. They say hello to a few people in passing but thankfully no one stops them. Ellie’s buzzing with excitement and nerves. But surely he’s still just being nice, right?  
_ _ _

___“We just need to stop by Dina’s to get Moose. Then grab Shimmer at the stables.”  
_ _ _

___“Alright.”  
_ _ _

They walk a few paces. Ellie wants to ask him everything, to know more about this complex man. But she’s also afraid she’ll sound like a psychopath if she starts rambling. _Breathe Ellie, breathe. Pace yourself._  


__A low rumbling voice saves her from her mental debate. “So, you have fun?”  
_ _

_____“I did. I usually go if I can. It’s a good place to just hang out. Not like there’s much else going on around here most of the time. You?”  
_ _ _ _ _

___“Mmhmm, it was nice. Been good to get to know Maria more. She an’ Tommy seem to be good for each other.”  
_ _ _

___“Yah, when I came to Jackson they weren’t married yet but they were already serious. She can be a hard ass but she’s got a good handle on things. Everyone loves her. And Tommy you knew,” Ellie says with a small chuckle.  
_ _ _

___“Yah, that boy,” he says, shaking his head. “He’s always been a pain in my ass. But – the only brother I got.”  
_ _ _

___“Hmmm. What’s your age difference?”  
_ _ _

___“Seven years. He’s clearly the older one,” he says, looking at her to gauge her reaction to his joke.  
_ _ _

___She doesn’t disappoint. Her smile lights up her face and she laughs. “Mmmhmm. Clearly.”  
_ _ _

___They take a few more steps in silence.  
_ _ _

___“Still, you’re lucky. I don’t have any siblings. My mom died soon after having me. And my dad, who knows. I grew up in the QZ orphanage. I’m lucky I guess - they kept me safe. But it fucking sucked.” She pauses a moment. “I’m so glad I found Jackson. I’ve said it a lot but it really is great here. I know we don’t know you very well yet but we’re glad you’re here.”  
_ _ _

___“Well, you’re all helpin’ to make me feel at home real quick.”  
_ _ _

___She looks at him and smiles. “Good.”  
_ _ _

___“And I’m sorry about your family. Glad you found Jackson too.”  
_ _ _

___With that, they make it to Dina’s house. Moose is at the door when she opens it, so she greets him happily. Even Joel crouches down to pet him for a minute. Then they walk to the stable to get Shimmer. Instead of riding her, she pulls her by the reigns so she can keep walking by Joel.  
_ _ _

___It’s pretty dark at Ellie’s house but she left a lamp on inside and a porch light on by the front door, so it’s enough to lightly illuminate most of the front lawn. Joel finds a ball in the yard and starts playing with Moose while she takes care of Shimmer, putting her in the stable and making sure she has what she needs for the night.  
_ _ _

___When she’s done, she walks over to Joel.  
_ _ _

___“He’ll love you forever now, you know.”  
_ _ _

___“Mmmmm. Hope so,” he says, throwing the ball again.  
_ _ _

___“You’ll be ok if I bring him tomorrow? On patrol I mean.”  
_ _ _

___“’Course.”  
_ _ _

___“Ok, cool. I usually bring him. And just so you know, he’s trained not to bark and he listens. He’ll warn us if there’s any trouble around.”  
_ _ _

___"Did you train him?”  
_ _ _

___“Well, I got him as a puppy. But there’s a lady in town – Courtney. She’s a badass trainer so she took him for a few weeks. Then I worked with her for a while after to make sure he kept up.”  
_ _ _

___“Ah, I see. That’s great.”  
_ _ _

___“Yah, he’s a good boy,” she says, crouching down. He runs to her and licks her face.  
_ _ _

___“Alright, let’s go in. I’ll give you the quick tour.”  
_ _ _

___“You sure? I don’t want to intrude, just wanted to make sure you made it ok.”  
_ _ _

___She rolls her eyes and smiles, standing. “Come on.”  
_ _ _

___Moose sticks right by her legs as Joel follows her onto the porch. She unlocks the door and enters, turning on more lights.  
_ _ _

___Joel lingers at the door mat. “Shoes on ok?”  
_ _ _

___“Oh, yah. Moose tracks everything in here so it’s fine.”  
_ _ _

___He steps further in, looking around, taking in the kitchen and living room. She goes over to the furnace, throwing on some wood and lighting it for some extra heat and ambiance.  
_ _ _

___“This is great, Ellie. Really suits you.”  
_ _ _

___“Thanks. Bathroom and bedroom back that way. But yah, it’s enough for me. You’ll have to deal with that big house,” she says, smiling.  
_ _ _

___“Hmmm, yah.”  
_ _ _

___“Sit. Have a quick night cap before you head back. Whiskey okay?”  
_ _ _

___“Absolutely,” he replies and sits on the couch.  
_ _ _

___She puts on a record, turning it down to a quiet level for some background noise, then gets their drinks. She comes back, handing Joel his, then sits on the bay windowsill, facing him. She kicks her shoes off so she can bring her legs up in front of her. Moose, who had been following her around, lays on his bed by the couch.  
_ _ _

___“Been a while since I had anyone over.”  
_ _ _

___“Really?”  
_ _ _

___“Yah, I guess Dina comes over the most but usually when I see everyone I just go to their place since we’re already in town.”  
_ _ _

___“Mmmm. Well, you can add my place to the mix now too.”  
_ _ _

___“Yah, I guess,” she says, biting her bottom lip. She doesn’t have time to think more about what he just says because he keeps talking.  
_ _ _

___“I’m surprised you got electricity out here.”  
_ _ _

___“Yah, I’m glad I do. There were some other houses close by but they were either too big or were far enough they didn’t have electricity. Plus this place tends to not get any visitors. I think because it’s far from any of the roads and kinda tucked back in here.”  
_ _ _

___“Well, that’s good. It’s none of my business but I don’t like that you’re out here all by yourself.”  
_ _ _

___“You sound like Maria,” Ellie says, laughing gently. “That’s one of the reasons she insisted I take Moose though. He’s my security guard. Well, that, and my guns and switchblade. And I’m careful.”  
_ _ _

___“Hmmm, well, I’m glad ya have him,” Joel says, looking down at a gently snoring Moose. “I’ve always wanted a dog.”  
_ _ _

___“You never had one?”  
_ _ _

___“Nope, never. Always liked ‘em but no. Didn’t have the schedule for it when I was younger. Then the world went to shit.”  
_ _ _

___“Yah,” Ellie says, then sips more of her drink and looks at the flames flickering in the stove.  
_ _ _

___“Oh, uh – we were talkin’ earlier and I got interrupted – I was gonna say I can help you with your fence. Tommy an’ I used to do construction. Might take a bit to scrounge everythin’ up but I’m sure I can figure somethin’ out.”  
_ _ _

___“Wow, uh…are you sure? I mean you’re just settling in. That’s a huge project. I mean, I barely know you and I don’t expect you to do that. Not to mention taking up all your free time…”  
_ _ _

___Joel cuts her off again. “Ellie, I’m not gonna take no for an answer. Unless you really don’ want me to of course. But it’ll make us all feel better, I’m sure.”  
_ _ _

___“Well then, guess I got really lucky the day you showed up here, huh?”  
_ _ _

___He huffs a laugh out of his nose, and looks up at her with a warm intensity. “Suppose so.” With that, he finishes off the last sip of his drink.  
_ _ _

___“Alright, girl. We got an early mornin’ tomorrow. I’ll get out of your hair. Meet at the stables?”  
_ _ _

___“Yah, 8AM.”  
_ _ _

___He gets up and walks over to her, and Ellie’s heart skips a beat, not sure for a second what he’s doing. “You done?” he asks quietly, pointing to her glass.  
_ _ _

___“Oh, um, yah,” she says, handing him her glass. “But you don’t have to clean…”  
_ _ _

___He silences her with a soft glare. She snorts a small laugh.  
_ _ _

___He quickly cleans the glasses and puts them on the drying rack by the sink.  
_ _ _

___“Alright Miss Williams. Goodnight.”  
_ _ _

___“Night,” she says, watching him walk through the door. She watches his silhouette as it disappears down the pathway back to Jackson. She feels giddy._ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My only note is that I searched Google to find what are considered to be traditional slutty names to come with up with the names for Krystle and Cindy. I am so very sorry if that's your name. I swear it's not personal. If it makes you feel any better, a good friend texted me once to say he heard on the radio describe people with my name as "loose." So I know how it feels.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning Ellie sets her alarm clock early so she can run. Some days it’s a slog but she knows she should stay in shape. It’s a little harder when it’s darker out, but she can still usually manage, and she’d rather get it out of the way in the morning. As usual, she gets back to her place and starts to warm water for a cup of tea, sitting on the counter as she waits for the water to boil. She looks over at the two glasses on the drying rack and lets her mind wander to last night. 

Joel. Here. At her place, just the two of them. He was so insistent on walking her home. It’s not like it’s that far but it was considerate of him to even offer. Was he really just being polite? He definitely didn’t try to intrude once he was here – he gave her an easy out if she hadn’t insisted that he come in. And offering to help with her fence, that was completely unexpected. That’ll take weeks probably, since they’ll have to work around their schedules on top of the work to actually do it. 

She knows she shouldn’t be thinking about him so much, but she can’t help it. She’s never met anyone like him. The more she knows, the more she wants. 

She continues the rest of her morning routine, partially distracted. The butterflies and anticipation in her stomach grow with each step taken towards town, and she gets to the stables a little before 8. Joel is already there. She’s a little anxious, but seeing his smile as he walks over melts it all away. How can someone even look that good this early. 

A thought comes to her that he’s the last one she saw last night and one of the first ones she’s seen this morning. Her stomach flip-flops. 

“Mornin’,” he says pleasantly. 

“Morning!” she says as she dismounts Shimmer. 

“How’d ya sleep?” he asks, bending down to pet Moose as he runs up to greet him excitedly. 

“Oh, good. Just a little tired…got up early to run.” 

He looks at her, relaxed. “Well, you don’t look tired.” 

“Good! And hey - how was your first night in the new place?” 

“Oh, fine. Figurin’ out where everythin’ is. Used the kitchen for the first time, if makin’ eggs counts.” 

Ellie puts an impressed look on her face. “Wow, well done. Didn’t burn the place down?” 

“Not this time.” 

She laughs. “Alright, let’s go get your horse and head out.” 

Joel takes a big black stallion called Trigger. They check out at the gate and head west to Wilson Valley. It takes about an hour to get there, but they go to a section towards the back of the area – it has some houses and a strip mall with some big box stores that they can scout. 

The first place they go is a home goods store. This one doesn’t even have smashed windows – but the doors are pried wide open. They stay silent, walking in, guns lowered but at the ready. 

“Moose, check it,” Ellie commands quietly. He goes ahead of them a little, sniffing and searching. They have to use their flashlights towards the back of the store because it’s so dark, but they loop around the whole place. There’s no signs of trouble. Moose comes back to Ellie’s side when they make it back to the front doors. 

“Looked like there were some things left on shelves if you want to go back. Do you know what you need?” 

Joel settles onto one leg, thinking for a moment. “I’m not sure, to be honest. Kitchen is pretty stocked. I think I saw an electric tea kettle though. That’d come in handy. Anythin’ else you use that I’d probably forget?” 

“Well, we tend to need to boil water the long way sometimes. You have a lot of large pots? And maybe an extra burner too.” 

“Good thinkin’, don’t’ think I do.” 

They’re lucky enough to find all the wares. There’s a couple of large plastic open-top shopping bags strewn on the ground, so they can at least carry everything and store on the horses for now. 

They start to make their way to the strip mall that’s across the parking lot. So far, everything looks clear so they leave the horses at the end but on the side so they wouldn’t be as easy to spot. Since there can be hordes – even if they are relatively rare nowadays – they leave the horses untied. Gives them a better chance that way. Ellie can’t stand the thought of them being attacked and unable to have the chance to get away. 

Joel and Ellie fall silent again, and Ellie commands Moose to be on guard again. They’re a few stores down the line when they spot it at the same time – a dead infected body a few feet away on the concrete. Moose goes to it, sniffing and picks his head up, looking inside the next store up. Ellie nods her head at Joel – they might not be alone. He seems to understand, holding up his shotgun. Before they can get up to that store’s window, an unkempt man with raggedy clothing comes walking normal speed out of the store. He jumps when he happens to turn and see them, doing a quick double take. He’s thin, dirty, and speckled with blood. 

Joel, on instinct, puts his arm out and behind him, moving Ellie a little behind his back. Moose starts growling. 

“Moose, stay! Sit!” He obeys, but his eyes are locked angrily on the stranger, lips snarling and bearing his teeth. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” the man says, throwing up his arms. “I ain’t no trouble, you hear? I ain’t armed ‘neither.” 

“Yah? Something happened to that infected there so either you’re lyin’ or there’s more ‘a you,” says Joel, voice saturated with warning and purpose. 

“I just meant I ain’t holding nothin’ ok,” he says, arms still up. 

“Alright, what are you doin’ here?” Joel asks. 

“Scroungin’, that’s it. I swear,” the man says, and he starts to eye them harder. “Say, you two are mighty clean. You shacked up somewhere close? I heard there’s a town. You live there? I could just follow you…” 

Joel steps a length closer, keeping his shotgun honed on the man’s head. “Like hell you will. Now you’re gonna start walkin’ and you’re gonna keep walkin’. If I see you again, it won’t end well for you.” 

“Come on buddy, I just…”

“You keep it up and this is gonna be real quick.” 

The man sighs and glares at them both, but he gives up and starts walking the other direction – and thankfully it’s away from the way they came. He must have believed the severity in Joel’s voice. Ellie thinks she would too if she was on the receiving end. They watch the man for a long time, making sure he doesn’t try to hide somewhere on his way out. 

After a while, Joel finally turns to Ellie. “Got a lot ‘a people like him around?” 

“Every once in a while. I don’t think we’ve seen any like him in these parts recently though.” 

Joel nods. “Could be getting closer to Jackson. Looked to be on his own at least. But Tommy ‘an I didn’t see ‘im yesterday.” 

“Yah. We’ll make sure to mention it. If he’s desperate enough, he might try something. Come on, let’s get to the rest,” Ellie says, nodding at the far end of the strip mall. 

Moose gets back into work mode again, and they make it to the far end. There’s no sign of anyone else. It’s times like these that Ellie is extra thankful for Moose. He’s a good warning bell, and it saves a lot of worry when things could be a trap. On the way back, they do quick rounds in some of the stores, grabbing things here and there if they need to. Every time they come out of one, they check to make sure the man is still gone. 

One store they go in has some interesting things but one section in particular catches Ellie’s eye. She goes over to the display and searches the shirts…and happily discovers they have the right size. 

“Hey Joel, I found the perfect thing for you.” 

“What is it?” he asks, voice getting closer. 

When he turns the corner, he sees her standing there holding up a t-shirt against her chest. It’s white. Well, it was white but slightly faded now. The real highlight though is the large state of Texas printed on the front in red, white and blue colors. 

“Absolutely not,” he says, trying very hard to not look amused. 

“Um, absolutely you WILL take it and I won’t let you leave without it. I worked hard for this, and I know your sizes, so I know it will fit.” 

“Ellie….” 

“Hey now, where is that Texas pride I’ve heard so much about?” 

“I left it with all the other touristy shit left in the state.” 

“Joel, you have to take it or you’ll hurt my feelings. Oh, and here’s a magnet too. For your fridge.” 

She walks over to him, handing them to him. “Jesus Christ,” he whispers under his breath. 

She sees something in his hand as he begrudgingly accepts her gifts. “Oh, you found something too?” 

“Yah, found this coffee mug. Like it?” 

She looks at the tan mug, lined with dark brown. There’s an owl perched on a tree limb. “I do. You like owls?” 

He shrugs. “Jus’ like the way it looks. Reminds me of the outdoors. I got mugs at the house but they’re nothin’ special.” 

“Like I said, it’s nice to start collecting things you like. Makes it feel more you. And that suits you,” she says, smiling up at him. 

“Yah, if only we had coffee.” 

“Mmmm. Sometimes, but yah it’s rare. I just make my own tea. Never did acquire a taste for coffee.” 

“You’re missin’ out girl. But more for me I suppose.” He pauses for a moment. “I used to go to coffee shops all the time,” he admits, looking to the side, lost momentarily to nostalgia. 

“I’m too young to remember them. I’m twenty-five. Well, at least I’m pretty sure I am. Hard to keep track sometimes. So I was only five when, you know.” 

Joel looks her in the eyes, studying her. “Well, you’re a survivor. That’s what matters.” 

“Yah. Well, enough of the heavy stuff. Ready to head back to the horses with your wonderful souvenirs?” 

Joel hums in acknowledgment. 

Ellie turns and takes a few steps towards the door when she suddenly feels something in her left hand that was hanging by her side. She grasps it, looking down, and she pulls it up for a closer look. Joel put a stuffed dog toy in her hand. He walks on past her, smiling but not making eye contact, then checks to make sure that it’s safe outside. 

Ellie drops her head, smiling like a goon. 

They spend the rest of the day carefully checking the area. They don’t see anyone else – human or infected. They mark the logbook at the old post office before heading back to Jackson. They dismount Trigger and Shimmer at the stables, and Joel looks at her questioningly. 

“Not headed home?” 

“Gonna go see if Dina’s home, catch up for a few minutes.” 

“Oh, nice,” he says, as they start to walk towards town together, Joel carrying his many bags filled with loot from the day. “Must be nice to have some friends close to your age – Dina, Jesse.” 

“Mmhmm. We’ve all been close since the beginning.” 

They walk a few moments in silence. 

“Oh, uh, what are your plans for tomorrow?” he asks, looking at her. 

Her heart skips a beat. “Just tower duty. Why?” 

“Come over after, I’ll cook you that dinner I owe you.” 

Ellie feels a little bit of a blush creeping up her face. 

“So soon. Wow, you are a man of your word,” she says, looking at him shyly. 

He smiles at her one of the most beautiful smiles she’s ever seen, but also in an endearingly shy kind of way. “I’d like to think so. But there’s no point in waitin’.” 

She bites her bottom lip to stop herself from blurting out her answer too quickly from her excitement. She’d have the stupidest grin on her face too if she didn’t think to stop it. She waits a beat. “Alright. Sure. I’ll come over after I get off.” 

“Alright, good. Well, see you tomorrow, then,” he says happily and confidently. 

“Yah. Goodnight,” she says, smiling as he turns and walks down the street. 

He doesn’t get very far when she thinks of something. “Hey, should I bring anything?” she shouts. 

He stops and turns. “Nope, just yourself, darlin’,” he replies with a smirk then turns to keep walking. 

She turns and walks towards Dina’s once she picks her jaw off the ground. 

* * *

Ellie walks up to Dina’s house and knocks on the front door after telling Moose to sit. 

“COME IN,” Dina yells from somewhere inside. 

Ellie opens the door, searching for her friend. Dina walks in from the back. “Oh, hey!” 

“Hey! Wasn’t sure you’d be home.” 

“Got back a few minutes ago. Just here to chat?” 

“Yah. It’s nice outside, wanna sit out there?” 

“Good idea!” 

The girls sit on her porch. Dina, like Joel, lives on a relatively quiet street. 

“You have patrol today?” Dina asks to make conversation, but her face suddenly snaps to Ellie, and lights up. “Wait, with Joel, right? Plus – oh my god – we have to talk about him walking you home you lucky bitch!” 

“Okay but first you have to calm down you crazy person.” 

Dina, for extra show, steels herself and takes a deep breath in then out. 

“Thank you. Glad you’re listening for once.” 

“Well, I want to hear the good shit. Come on, spill.” 

“Uh, well, he’s great. I just think maybe I’m reading into things.” 

“Go on, I promise to be good” Dina says, actually serious this time and being patient. 

“Well some if it you know but I guess first of all, I had patrol with Tommy the other day. He asked if I’d help make Joel feel welcome. I mean, not go out of my way or anything, but ya know, just be nice.” 

“Oh, is that what it takes for you to be nice to people?” 

“Hey!” Ellie playfully responds. “I’m so nice to you.” 

“Mmmhmm. Okay, so what else?” 

“Well, that was the night we went to the Millers. I had a quick talk with Joel outside after dinner.” 

Dina smirks, “I thought that’s where you went.” 

“I mean, it doesn’t hurt to talk to the guy. So anyway, we just talked about random shit. But do you remember how I was like ‘you have to cook me dinner’ because of him taking the house? Like as a joke.” 

“Yah, I remember.” 

“He mentioned it again while we were outside.” 

Dina’s eyebrows lift in surprise. “Wow, like he brought it up again?” 

“Yah he wanted me to know he was serious I think.” 

“Wow.” 

“Right? So anyway, I also made sure to mention the open mic night. You know, remembering what Tommy said. So he said he’d come, which, obviously he did.” 

Dina smiles in a playful, knowing way. “Yes, which went well I’d say since you talked to him most of the night.” 

“Oh god,” Ellie replies, covering her face with her hands. 

“Fucking Cindy and Krystle though, damn.” 

“Oh, I couldn’t believe that. Fucking bitches. And you know how my face shows everything! I had to watch myself.” 

“Well, they keep it up and I’ll cut them, Ellie. I. Will. Cut. Them.” Dina says, accentuating every word, making Ellie laugh. 

“Yah, well, he came back with me, so I guess I shouldn’t be that scared of them.” 

“Right! What the fuck happened.” 

“I mean, just small talk. But he was a gentleman. Like he really didn’t mean to intrude, he really just wanted to make sure I got home ok. But I offered to give him the tour.” 

Dina’s smile curls into a devilish grin. “A tour of your body, perhaps?” 

“Dina! What the fuck!” 

Dina tips back her chair in uproarious laughter. “God, you are so easy to rile up. Seriously. The easiest target in all of Jackson.” 

Ellie sighs big. “I don’t know why I’m friends with you.” 

“Okay, okay. So what happened?” 

“So he did come in, he said he liked the place. We had a drink, just hung out. Oh, and get this – he offered to help me with my fence.” 

“What? Really?” Dina says, completely surprised. 

“I know. I can’t believe it either.” 

“Ellie, he likes you.” 

“What? No way.” 

“Everything you’ve said is him being nice, wanting to get to know you more, and spend more time with you.” 

“OR….he’s just being nice and settling in. He knows I’m close to Tommy and Maria so he’s just making the effort.” 

“Ellie, you’re beautiful AND single AND fun to be around. Come on now.” 

Ellie sighs again. “I just don’t know.” 

“Well how do you feel about him?” 

“Honestly?” she says, turning to her friend. “I like him a lot.” 

“Good!” 

“The more time I spend with him, I just….I like everything.” 

“Well, I’m glad you decided to have a pair of eyes, my god!” 

“Hey, it’s way more than just looks.” 

Dina laughs. “I know! I’m just saying, it sure doesn’t hurt. I mean if you don’t get on that soon, someone else will.” 

“Jesus, Dina.” 

“Two points for Dina today, making her Ellie squirm.” 

Ellie snorts. 

“So I’m guessing patrol went well today too?” 

Ellie nods. “We did the normal route on Wilson but went through some of the stores to get stuff for his house. We did see this random guy though.” 

“Really?” Dina asks, concerned. 

“Yah, we saw an infected he had killed first. Then Moose started to growl. And then this disheveled guy just wanders out of the store. He didn’t see us at first but about pissed his pants when he looked up and saw Joel’s shotgun at his face and an angry German Shepherd. Anyway, Joel put his arm out to keep me behind him. Like a safety thing. Which normally, that would piss me off. I mean I can take care of myself. But the way he thought to do it, it’s like he wanted to protect me.” 

Dina looks impressed. “Okay, I really like this guy.” 

“Anyway, that guy left and we grabbed a few more things, then finished up and came back here.” 

“Good, well, I’m glad you’re all ok. Including Moosie boy,” Dina says in a high pitched voice and pets him as he sits between them happily. 

“Oh and about that whole dinner thing – I’m going over to his house for dinner tomorrow night.” 

Dina’s jaw drops, then she covers her mouth with her hands. “OHMYGOD” she says. 

“I know, I know. Probably not going to be able to sleep tonight.” 

“Ellie, I’m legit freaking out for you,” she says, dropping her hands. 

Ellie laughs. “Yah, me too.” 

Dina looks at her friend again warmly. “For some reason you don’t believe it, but you’ll see.” 

Ellie rolls her eyes. “Whatever. Can you just not tell anyone? Got enough gossip in this town.” 

“Of course.” 

The girls talk for a few more minutes before Ellie needs to leave. Ellie isn’t sure if she feels better or worse after talking to Dina. It was good to get her opinion and make her feel less unsure. But it also makes her nervous. But Dina’s right – time will tell what to make of it all. 


	6. Chapter 6

Ellie did in fact not sleep very well. She tossed and turned for a while, thinking about everything that happened, her talk with Dina, and just about every horrible and embarrassing scenario she can imagine to turn Joel away. Like her clumsiness – god what if she spills a drink. It’s happened so many times that it’s a known joke in her friend group. She’d be mortified so she imagines running home in a panic, not even saying goodbye and leaving the door swaying on its hinges. But no, Joel would be great about it, she’s sure of it. She wonders if he’d laugh. She imagines his laugh then, deep and soulful. Not that she’s heard it a lot so far. But the few times she has, she’s stored up in the depths of her intricate mind. 

Once she did fall asleep though, she stayed asleep, even if the alarm started blaring too early as it always seems to. But there’s not really anything that can foul her mood today. She jumps out of bed, wishing she could just skip ahead a few hours. She once again runs then showers. She comes out of her bathroom, wrapped in a towel, then stares into her closet, mulling over her options. It’s easier if she doesn’t have to change later. She could, but as restless as she is already, she’d rather just go straight to his house. She settles on one of her favorite t-shirts and jeans. At this point in the apocalypse, you can only do so much. 

She realizes she’ll be late if she doesn’t hurry so she hustles to Jackson and drops the animals off. She talks to Max quick and she's doing such a bad job of hiding her excitement that he mentions how good of a mood she’s in today. She just smiles wider. She likes that no one knows. Well, except Dina. And maybe the Millers if Joel told them anything. 

She hoofs it to her tower and tries to not be miserable all day as the hours slowly tick by. Every time she thinks it’s been at least thirty minutes it’s more like ten. Couldn’t there be at least a little excitement today? Not really. But still. By the end of her shift, there’s been nothing. It was a completely quiet day. She’s lucky her replacement gets there a few minutes early. 

She gets Moose, then stops quickly at the market that’s in the middle of town. It’s a little out of the way, but Ellie wants to bring something even though he told her not to. She’s relieved to see the brewers have some beer today – even some chilled ones, bless them. They even let her buy four. 

Ellie’s so excited and feels like she has a week's worth of energy bottled up inside her. It's so much that she's almost visibly nervous. She knows she shouldn’t be though. It’s just Joel and it’s just dinner she repeats to herself over and over as she walks to her destination. The butterflies hit her hard as she walks up the steps to his house. 

She takes one big breath, refusing to be a coward any longer, then bounds the last steps and knocks on the door. In just a few short seconds he’s there in front of her. 

“Evenin’ ma’am,” he says, leaning casually on the open door. 

Ellie takes him in and notices a few things right away, but the first thing makes her gasp. “You’re wearing the shirt!” As she figured it would, it fits him perfectly and sculpts every single one of his muscles. He’s wearing the hell out of his jeans and boots too. Ellie’s convinced that he’d make anything look good. 

He chuckles at her reaction. “That I am.” 

“Oh my god,” she says, covering her mouth with her hands for a second in shock. “I’m so happy you wore it,” she continues, unable to suppress her smile. “And you got a haircut!” 

He tips his head to the side a little. “First time since bein’ in Jackson. Needed an expert trim.” 

“Well, you look good from head to toe,” she says, deciding to be bold. 

“Thank you, although it should be the gentleman telling the lady how beautiful she is,” he says with a wink. 

There are those butterflies again. 

“Alright, come on in,” he says, stepping back to give her room. She walks in, Moose trailing right behind. 

“Oh, I know you said to not bring anything but I grabbed some beer,” she says, handing him the four pack. 

“Well, thank you. Where’d you get this from?” 

“At the market in town. Did you see it when you went for a walk that one day?” 

“I did, but didn’t pay too much attention to what they had. Sure glad they have beer there, though.” 

“Me too. We have some people here that brew it. They run out quick though.” 

“Makes sense,” he says, starting to walk towards the kitchen. Ellie follows. “Now, you’ve seen the house before so you know where everything is, right? Since you knew about the closet an’ all?” 

“Yah. From back when Maria tried to pawn it off on me.” 

He chuckles. “Right.” 

They make it to the kitchen and Joel sets the pack of beer down on the counter. “Damn, these are even cold. Want one?” 

“Sure!” she says, accepting a bottle after he pops the tops off. “Oh and keep the bottles. Just need to clean them and take them back.” 

“’Course. Oh, and cheers,” he says, stepping closer. Ellie tries to not think about how close he is or how much she likes it. 

“Cheers!” she says, clinking their glasses together and they both take a sip. 

“Mmmm,” Joel says, closing his eyes. Ellie watches him, completely entranced. 

“Good?” 

“Absolutely. Might be owin’ you another dinner in fact,” he says, opening his eyes to look at her. 

“Hey now, you keep throwing out dinner invites like that and they won’t be special.” 

“Oh, they’ll be special. In fact, you might have noticed a lot of things on the counter. Thought it’d be fun to make pasta, what do you say?” 

Ellie’s eyes light up. “Really?” 

“Mmmhmm. The house came with everythin’ but the food.” 

“Well if you know how to, then yah, sounds good.” 

“I got the instructions, just gotta make the dough.” 

Ellie observes as he carefully measures out and mixes the ingredients. Moose is watching too and stays right by his legs in the hope that he'll drop something. She feels bad watching Joel so intently again but she has plenty to see as his arms and hands flex as he kneads the ball of dough. His eyes are down in concentration, watching what he’s doing. She’s entranced as the individual muscles of his forearms keep flexing under his skin as he keeps working the dough, and those big strong hands squeezing over and over. 

Needing desperately to distract herself, she looks around the kitchen. 

“Hey, your Texas magnet is up too,” she points out, noticing it on the fridge. It's the only one so it's displayed smack dab in the middle of the top section. 

“Yep, put it up as soon as I got home.” 

“See? I knew you loved your gifts. You’re all talk.” 

He playfully glares at her then he finishes with the dough, and washes his hands. 

“Alright, that’s gotta rest for about thirty.” 

“Hours?” Ellie says deadpan for effect. 

He snorts and shakes his head. “Your sense of humor, girl. It kills me,” he says then sighs. “Minutes,” he says boldly, matching her playfulness, and looks at her pointedly. “I’m jus’ going to start the tomato sauce and brown some meat for it. Then we can finish the pasta.” 

“Well you're doing all the work. Can I help with anything?” 

Joel looks around, thinking. “Oh, you can help by chopping some onions and that basil there.” 

She can’t help but smile as she sees the cutting board sitting on the counter right next to the stove as she steps over. She feels so much of his presence, even just standing a foot away from him. Joel starts browning the meat as she chops up the onions. 

“If I start crying by the way, it’s not you, it’s me,” she says.

“Well good, I wasn’t plannin’ on any tears this evenin’. At least make it happy tears if you must,” he says, looking down at her with a smirk as he playfully nudges his shoulder against her own. She gently nudges back. 

_Hmmm. So he was thinking about tonight too?_  


He’s about halfway done with the meat when he moves the pan off the burner and closer to her. 

“Alright, my lovely assistant, onions please."

She smiles and holds up the cutting board, scraping the pieces into the hot pan. She feels him watching her. A couple fall out onto the floor, because of course they do. 

“Oops, clumsy,” she says, bending down to pick them up before Moose can get to them. 

“Ah, don’t worry about it,” he says. 

Ellie smirks to herself. _I was right._  


Next she moves onto the basil. It looks like he already has a pan of tomato sauce started. Once he’s done with browning the meat and onions, he drains the pan of the runoff liquid and mixes everything together, then puts it on low. 

“Taste it quick, make sure you like it,” he says, taking the dirty dishes to the sink. 

She takes the spoon and blows it off before trying it. “Just a little more salt and it’ll be perfect.” 

He comes over, adding more salt as requested. “Gotta keep the guest happy so she’ll come back,” he says, then walks over to the mound of dough. 

_Damn the man._  


“Alright, you ready to get these guys goin’?” He asks, taking another sip of his beer. 

She goes over and she relishes every moment standing so close to him again as they roll out the dough, shape it in the pasta maker, and hang them all so they can dry for a few minutes. It’s a lot of work but it is fun, although she thinks that everything would be fun with him. He goes back over to check the sauce, continuing to let it simmer. Then they clean what they can and just lean on the counter, talking about anything they can think of. Once the pasta is ready to cook, it only takes a few short minutes. Then they plate everything up and grab the last two beers and sit in the dining room. The meal is almost as good as the company. After dinner, they clean up, even though Joel insisted she didn’t need to help. But they made quite the mess, especially with the flour. When they’re done, Joel dries his hands, then turns to her. 

“Stay for some tea? I got some I think you’d like.” 

She looks outside, there’s probably about an hour and a half of light left in the day. Before she even gets the chance to speak, he beats her to it. 

“Come on, you know if it’s dark, I’ll walk you home. And you can help me break in my fancy new kettle.” 

She breathes out a small laugh. “Once again, if you absolutely insist.” 

He looks down and smiles, shaking his head. “You know I do,” he says then goes to fill the kettle with water. 

“Mmmhmm. All this effort for little ‘ole me.” 

“Well, some of us think you’re worth the effort. An’ for the record, I like havin’ you here,” he admits, so casually that it shocks her, as he passes her to get the mugs and tea. Then he goes back to the kettle and leans against the counter, crossing his arms and looking at her. 

“Well, I like being here, especially if you cook like that all the time,” she answers after inwardly composing herself. 

“Hey now, you contributed and did a mighty fine job.” 

“I guess,” she says, then pauses a moment. She looks up to meet his gaze. “You know...I feel like I’ve known you longer. It’s only been a few days. I didn’t even know you a week ago.” 

He breathes deep and looks like can’t believe it himself. “Yah. Wild.” 

They slip into a moment of silence, simply standing and looking at each other. All Ellie wants to know is how he really feels, but she doesn't feel bold enough to ask. She wants to ask about that broken watch he's always wearing, too. But she's sure there's a story there, and maybe it's too early to talk about it. The water boiling interrupts the moment and her waterfall of thoughts, and Joel turns and pours it into the waiting mugs. Ellie and Moose follow him as he brings both mugs into the living room, placing them on the coffee table in front of the loveseat. She takes a seat on the side closest to the door as he lights the fire and Moose settles onto the rug by the fireplace, getting ready for a nap. She settles in with her mug in her lap and she can smell hints of mint and lemongrass.

“Smells good,” she says. 

“Thought you’d like it,” he says, sitting a little sideways next to her, arm draped over the back of the seat. Ellie turns so she's facing him a little more too. They’re so close their legs are almost touching. Ellie’s selfishly glad he doesn’t have a full-sized couch. 

“Mmmm and I’m stuffed. You really are a good cook. You made that before?” 

“Couple times in Boston, sure.” 

“Surprised you could get the stuff you needed for that in a QZ.” 

He shrugs. “Smuggled it in.” 

“Really?” Ellie asks, intrigued. 

“Mmmhmm. That’s what I did there. Not sure how people survived otherwise.” 

“Was that why you left? Well, that and Tommy.” 

He takes a deep breath. Ellie gets the feeling he’s deciding what to say. Or how to say it. “Not exactly. I had a partner and she uh…..” he pauses a moment and clears his throat. “She died in a bad business deal. So there was that and one guy we did a lot of our business with disappeared. Once those things happened, there wasn’t much left for me there. I had heard of Tommy’s whereabouts and decided to try my luck.” 

“That’s shitty. I’m sorry.” 

Joel shrugs and looks at her, a forced half smile on his face. “Things happen, we move on.” 

Ellie nods, and they both sip their tea. “I had this group of friends in Colorado, including my best friend, Riley. We weren’t FEDRA but we helped out the QZ sometimes. Just enough to stay on their good side. That’s how we stayed afloat there, really. Anyway, there was one day I wasn’t feeling well, so I stayed behind. A horde found them, but a few made it back. None of my friends though.” 

“Jesus, Ellie. I’m sorry too.” 

It’s her turn to shrug and she looks at the flickering flames in the fireplace. “We’re just a bunch of broken humans in a broken world. Gotta stick together now more than ever, huh?” 

“Yah.” 

They sit in silence for a few moments. 

“By the way, Moose loves his new toy,” she says, and they both look over at him. He's so cute, sleeping length-wise, head resting on his paws that are stretched out towards them. 

Joel smiles. “Well, good. I figured our boy over there’d like it.” 

_Our. He said our._  


“Mmm. Anything that he can bite that squeaks is a winner.” 

“Well, I’ll keep an eye out for more.” 

“Thanks. You’re good for both of us,” she admits, dropping her head. A piece of stubborn hair falls onto her face from behind her ear. 

The next thing Ellie knows, she feels him tuck the strands back behind her ear as she looks up at him. He looks serious and calm, but Ellie has no idea what he’s thinking. But she doesn’t miss that his eyes flicker down to her lips for a quick second. 

The moment is fleeting, and he breaks the silence. “So, I’m on tower duty tomorrow for the first time. What’s it like?” 

Ellie answers, and they spend the next forty-five minutes talking about endless other topics, laughing, and enjoying the rest of the evening. A few minutes after she finishes her tea, she realizes how much time has passed. 

“Alright, well. Hate to say it but I have to go. Got just enough light left.” 

She gets up, meaning to take her mug to the kitchen. 

“Oh, just leave it. You’ve already helped clean more than any guest should be allowed.” 

She laughs, setting it back down on the table. “Okay. Come on Moosie boy,” Ellie says, and he gets right up, following them to the front door. 

She’s about to the door when she turns around. Joel’s close behind, petting Moose. 

“Thanks again. It was all great.” 

He straightens up and smiles, stepping closer to her, now very much in her space. Her heart starts pounding so loud she can hear it in her ears. His eyes meet her own. 

“You’re welcome. And like I said, it won’t be the last.” 

She smiles at him, “Alright, deal.” 

With that, he leans closer and Ellie stays completely still. He gently places his hand on her bicep as he kisses her left cheek, lingering for several moments. All of Ellie’s concentration is here and now, on just the two of them, and time feels like it stands still. Her heart feels like it expands, feeling his soft lips and beard against her skin. She leans slightly into it, but gently so he doesn’t think that she’s trying to stop it in any way. She feels him break contact and feels a puff of his breath brush her cheek. Then he backs up a little and drops his hand from her arm. 

“Now git girl, you’re losin’ light,” he says, sticking his hands in his pockets and looking smug. Nothing he's doing is making her heart rate calm down. 

“Alright, good night,” she says, opening the door and letting Moose run on ahead as she steps onto the porch. 

Joel follows a step, holding the door so he can close it. “Night, darlin’. Get home safe.” 

She turns and looks at him one more time because she can’t help it. Besides, she feels like she has more of a right to look than anyone else. “I will,” she replies, then descends the steps as she hears the door close. 

Ellie’s in a Joel-filled daze, and she finally admits to herself that Dina must be right. She doesn’t sleep well this night either, but this time it’s not from anxiousness. It’s from happiness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many special thanks to Burningferns for helping get some good ideas flowing for one particular moment this chapter. Anyway, I hope you all liked the chapter. The slow burn is finally starting to heat up ;)


	7. Chapter 7

The next few days are terrible – they don’t see each other once. Ellie can’t help but be miserable. She’s tried to track him down, but they’ve either missed each other, or had opposite enough schedules that they just couldn’t connect. She’s heard through others that he’s been trying as well – Max, Tommy, and Jesse had all crossed paths with him and told them to pass along that he had tried to see her. 

In the longer, quieter moments, Ellie’s bad thoughts take hold of her again as the passage of time - even just a few days - amplifies her doubt. _You like him more than he likes you. He’ll get tired of you. You’re not pretty enough for him._ Anxious thoughts notwithstanding, the strongest feeling superseding all others is how much she misses him. All she can keep wondering is how far this will all go. It does seem to be moving in a clear direction, or at least seems that way. He mentioned how he likes being around her, he wanted her to stay after dinner, the kiss on the cheek as she left that she can’t stop thinking about. But she doesn’t really know him that well yet. What if all he wants is a casual thing? She knows she’ll be in trouble if that’s the case – she can’t deny how much she’s feeling already, even after such a short time. 

Five days after their dinner, she stops by the market after her tower shift – she needs more soap. She just finishes putting the bars in her backpack when she stands, looking over towards the exit. The most intense feeling of excitement and relief floods over her when she sees Joel, leaning against one of the doorframes to one of the less busy exits leading outside. He’s standing there, at ease with his arms crossed, simply watching her. Her smile upon seeing him makes a very similar one mirror on his face too. Well, it’s a big smile for him at least. 

After throwing her bag on her shoulders, she walks faster than her normal pace straight to him. They barely break eye contact. When she’s just about to him, he uncrosses his arms, but opens them for a hug. She doesn’t hesitate, stepping straight into his embrace, tucking her head under his chin and wrapping her arms around his lower back. As if by some unspoken agreement, neither lets go. He holds her around her upper back, arms resting over the top of her bag. 

“Hey,” he says warmly, and Ellie feels him kiss her head. She’s surprised, since they’re in such a public place, even though it’s currently slow at the market. She just settles into him more, instantly at ease. 

“Hey,” she says, trying to absorb every feeling of him against her that she can. 

“We been missin’ each other, huh.” 

“Yah. This is the worst.” 

Joel’s arms squeeze her even harder and she feels his beard against her forehead. “Glad I finally tracked you down but a few of us are leavin’. Could be more than a day dependin’ on what we find, so I wanted to tell you myself. Headin’ out in a few minutes.” 

Ellie loosens her grip and holds her hands on his waist, pulling back. Joel loosens his response as well, but still keeps his hands on her shoulders. “Oh. Where are you going?” 

“We’re goin’ back to Wilson. Think there might be a horde comin’.” 

“Well, do you need help? I can always…”

Joel places his hand on the side of her neck, running his thumb along the bottom of her jaw. Ellie’s heart is pounding again but she’s also processing all this. “Nah, wanna keep it small. More for scoutin’ than anythin’ else. An’ no need to put extra in danger if there is any.” 

“Who’s going?” 

“Just me, Tommy, and Dina.” 

Ellie sighs and tucks herself back into him, which he gladly accepts, wrapping his arms around her waist this time. “Be careful. All of you.” 

“Always am, darlin’. An’ you an’ me, we’ll do somethin’ as soon as I’m back, alright?” 

“Okay,” she says, backing up again. They’re still standing close so on instinct, she looks down at his arms, running her hand up his forearms, whatever she can reach, thumbing the hair and squeezing the skin and muscle there. Normally she might not be so bold, but everything feels so right with Joel, and she’s both missed him and wants to soak in this moment before he leaves again. Next she looks up at him, memorizing every feature she can of his face. Last, her eyes lock on his. Nothing is rushed, and here on the edge of the loud market, everything disappears except for this man in front of her. She licks her lips and he looks down at them, then tips his head infinitesimally towards her own. 

“Hey you guys!” Krystle says, walking over, alongside Cindy, breaking their trance. “Joel, we just heard the news.” 

Joel and Ellie’s gaze snaps to the two women, and they step slightly apart, having to join this unwanted conversation out of politeness. But Joel’s hand quickly runs down Ellie’s arm then stays hanging by his side as he turns fully to the other women. Since she’s slightly behind him and to the side, her fingers reach out, seeking his hand. As soon as he feels her, Joel picks up on what she’s doing right away and moves his hand back a little bit more behind him, and Ellie steps a little bit closer to him. Their fingers slowly caress and play with each other, her right hand with his left, out of sight from prying eyes. It’s not much but her heart starts pounding again, not only from the physical touch but also from the fact that he seems to be liking this as much as she does. 

Even though most of her focus is on their hands, Ellie doesn’t even try to hide her anger. She’s pissed and her face shows it. Joel’s a bit more polite. 

“Ladies,” he says, tipping his head to them. 

“You be safe out there. Sounds kind of crazy. Any idea of when you’ll be back?” continues Krystle. 

“Uh, few days tops hopefully. Want to make sure we’re thorough. If it is a horde headed to Jackson, we gotta figure somethin’ out.” 

“Well, when you’re back, you should come over for dinner! You know, take it easy after all your hard work,” says Cindy. 

“Thanks for the kind offer but I think I’ll be preoccupied for a bit. I’ll let you know if that changes,” Joel says, then really reaches for Ellie’s hand, threading his fingers fully through her own. Ellie holds onto him like he’s the only thing keeping her standing. 

“Oh, ok! Well, the offer’s always there,” Cindy says, then turns her focus to Ellie. “You could come over too, Ellie, if you wanted.” 

“No thanks,” Ellie answers. 

“Oh, well, maybe someday. Alright, we should go,” she says, looking back to Joel. “And you be safe. We’ll see you when you get back.” 

“Bye guys,” says Krystle, as they both turn to walk into the market. 

“Ladies,” Joel says, tipping his head at them. 

“Bye,” says Ellie, voice dripping with attitude. 

Joel turns back to Ellie but keeps his eyes on the women, making sure they keep walking. Joel gives Ellie’s hand one last squeeze and they drop them because Ellie steps into his chest again, and his arms envelop her fully once more. 

“Well, they sure are generous. Coulda had some more friends, El.” 

“They can go fuck themselves,” Ellie says, mumbling into his chest, making Joel laugh. 

“I’m going to be miserable,” she continues, making it clear there’s only one person here right now that she has any feelings for. 

“Nah, you’ll be fine. We’ll be back before you know it.” She feels his beard against her forehead again. “I do gotta go now, though. Took a lot ‘a convincin’ to even let me try to find ya.” 

He kisses her forehead then her cheek, lingering there a few seconds again, before squeezing her with all he’s got. 

She angles her face more towards his ear. “You better come back to me,” she says, just a little above a whisper. 

“Nothin’ could stop that, beautiful girl.” 

With that, they part and he turns to go to the stables. As she watches him walk away, he turns back around to see her one more time, giving her a warm smile. She then realizes – this man is becoming important to her in a deep and vital way. 

* * *

The next day, Ellie is on tower duty again. She switches with someone so she can be on the West side – the one closest to Wilson. She got some weird looks – if there really is a horde, it’d be coming from that direction. Ellie doesn’t give a shit. She wants to be on watch for the three people who happen to be who she’s closest to. She tries not to dwell on the similarity to this and how her people died back in Colorado. It can’t happen again like that, it just can’t. 

Around 1PM, movement catches her eye by the edge of the clearing. She lifts her rifle up, aligning her eye with the scope, finger off the trigger. She doesn’t have to wait long to realize it’s Dina – with all three horses. Dina looks ok, no signs of injury that she can distinguish anyway. The horses are trotting, but she’s not urging them faster. Ellie lingers a moment with her scope. Maybe Joel and Tommy are walking? But seconds pass, and nothing. 

Ellie lowers her rifle and replaces it with the radio. She presses the button and holds the radio to her face. 

“West tower 5 to Maria, over.” 

A few short seconds pass. 

“Copy, Ellie,” says Maria. 

“Go to 2.” 

They switch channels. 

“Hey, get over here. Dina’s coming with the horses,” says Ellie, keeping her eye on Dina. No signs of infected. Or anyone else. 

A pause. “The boys?” 

“Not sure, Dina’s alone.” 

“I’ll be right there.” 

Ellie radios down to the guard station below by the gate so they can switch. She wants to know what happened. 

A few minutes pass and they open the gate. Dina gets off her horse, Japan, by the waiting Ellie and Maria. 

“What happened? Where are Tommy and Joel?” Maria asks, clearly forcing her nerves at bay. 

“They’re okay, they’re just stuck right now. Because there is a pretty big horde.” 

“Shit,” responds Maria. Ellie stays silent, dread filling her stomach. “Where are they?” 

“Okay, you know that big home goods store by that shopping plaza?” The women nod. “We were patrolling around there, just doing quick rounds. Of course these fucking runners came out of nowhere. They probably saw us first. Then the rest followed. So anyway, we left the horses by the big store, so we had to sprint back on foot. I fucking tripped over a pot hole, but Joel came back to help me up. My knee is pretty banged up so I couldn’t run very fast. The guys started to draw some of them off, but there was a lot. They pushed me towards the horses and told me to come back with a report and get backup. They ended up going up a ladder onto the roof.” 

“You saw them go up? You know they’re ok?” 

Dina nods. “Once I was far enough, I used my scope. I could see them.” 

“Ok, that’s good at least,” Maria admits, although no one feels any better. “Did anything follow you back?” 

“I rode fast at first. There might be some stragglers but the main group stayed behind. Looked like a couple dozen at least. Couple big guys too.” 

“Shit,” Maria says again. She only curses when things are really bad. She looks away, staring at a distance and pondering their options. 

Ellie turns to Dina. “The guys could still get down that way, right? I mean if the horde was drawn away?” 

“Yah. They pushed a dumpster against the wall to get to a ladder on the side of the building.” 

“On the side closest to the road?” 

Dina nods. Maria is studying Ellie. “Whatever you’re thinking is probably too dangerous, Ellie.” 

“Well, maybe. But hear me out. It’s too dangerous for the horses. But what about a truck? It’s got a horn and we can bring a megaphone as a backup in case we’re on foot or something. Give me one other person and we can draw the horde off. Then we loop back to the store and we’ll have time for them to get to us.” 

“I don’t know, Ellie…” 

“Listen, you know Tommy. He’s probably already restless and he’ll get stupid. I’m not sure Joel could even talk him out of it. Plus they’ll get dehydrated and hungry pretty quick. We can do this. Gimme Jesse, I know he’ll go.” 

Maria breathes then lets out a heavy sigh. “Alright. Can’t think of anything better. I’ll get what you need and meet back here. For now, take the horses to the stables and make sure Dina gets to the clinic. Then you need to hurry, just a couple of hours of light left.” 

Ellie does as she’s told and hugs Dina tight before leaving her in expert hands. She’s worried about the guys but knows they’re capable. At this point, she’s relieved Dina is okay. 

“You got this, Ellie. But be careful,” she tells her. 

* * *

By the time Ellie walks as quick as she can back to the gate, Maria and Jesse are waiting by the truck. 

“I filled him in with the plan,” she says, nodding at Jesse. “Just please be careful you two. We need everyone. And I know you know this, but try to draw them away from Jackson. The guys are important but that’s important too.” 

“I know that route well. We can hopefully lead them back west,” says Jesse. 

Ellie places her hand on Maria’s upper arm. “Come on. We’re a dream team. Especially once we get the other Millers,” she says, giving her arm a small squeeze. 

Maria smiles just a tiny bit. “Alright, head out. Be safe.” 

“Who’s driving?” Ellie asks, turning to Jesse. 

“Me.” 

“Of course.” 

“Come on, you know I’m a pro.” 

They leave the safety of the walls and drive towards their destination. One main benefit of the truck is it’ll be quicker getting there – much less than the hour that it typically takes on horseback. A couple of miles in, they start to see some wandering infected. They take them all out as quiet as they can. 

Once they’re within sight of the parking lot but still a ways off, Jesse puts the truck in park and they quietly open their doors and get out with their rifles to scan the area. 

“Shit, it’s a lot,” says Jesse. “Mostly runners, but some clickers and looks like at least one bloater.” 

Ellie scans the top of the store where brothers are but can’t see them. Either they’re on another side or are just closer to the interior. 

“Alright, see the ladder there? That’s where they went up. We just need enough time to draw the horde away and get back there to get the guys.” 

Jesse nods towards the back of the store. “There’s a road back that way. Looks pretty clear. Lets try to get around to the other side. We can use the horn and hopefully draw most of them off, and come back around.” 

“Alright, that’s as good a plan as any. Let’s do this!” 

They get back into the truck and head the way Jesse suggested. So far so good. There’s a couple of runners, but nothing directly in their way. The few that are around follow the noise and movement of the truck. When they get to the other side of the store, the parking lot opens up to a larger area. There’s a road that runs perpendicular to the lot, so Jesse aims for that first. They have a clear shot from both infected and abandoned cars. They sit for a minute as Jesse starts laying on the horn. That gets the horde’s attention. Meanwhile, Ellie takes out her rifle and looks back at the roof in her scope. She sees Joel and Tommy looking their way. She knows they’ll understand the plan as they watch them. 

By this point, the infected are getting closer, so Jesse starts to drive down the road. They wanted to take more time, but there’s enough infected interested in them and hobbling around that they have to turn back and just hope it gives them enough time. Jesse lays on the gas, taking a long loop around back behind the strip plaza and back towards the store. 

Most of the horde is drawn off, although there’s a few clickers around since they’re slower. But at least they’ve made it. And there’s soon to be four of them and everyone is armed. Jesse pulls right up next to the ladder, and they look up, already seeing Tommy and Joel climb down the ladder. Him and Ellie get out, but leave their doors open. 

A clicker starts screeching and flailing its arms, coming right towards them from around the front. Ellie gets out her switchblade and throws a glass bottle at it, then plunges her switchblade into it’s neck and chest several times. Then another comes around the corner. She shoots it with her silenced pistol. For now, there’s nothing else coming. She turns to look back at the ladder to see the progress, happy to see that Tommy’s already standing on the ground and Joel is almost on the last step. 

“Ellie!” Tommy yells as loud as he can, and pulls up his rifle. 

She was looking at Joel, and sees his eyes snap over to her in horror. She starts to turn around to see what’s happening. A large bloater, as big as a tank and standing well over six feet, was running at her full speed, making the beastly bloater sounds that everyone has nightmares of if they’ve lived long enough to see one. She has no time to react as it shoves her with its shoulder with every bit of force it’s capable of, and she hits the side of the building head first with a loud bang. Her last coherent thought before losing consciousness is the feeling of the bloater scratching her arms and yelling as it attacks her, but it stops as she hears the noise of a siren and shots from several rifles and a shotgun. 

She wakes up in the bed of the moving truck in a panic, sitting up and opening her eyes, trying to focus. Her eyesight is completely dizzy and blurry, but she feels hands on her shoulders. 

“Ellie, calm down. Lay back down.” 

“No. What? Where are….what are we doing? You’re not…I just…” she says, words falling out of her mouth in a jumble. She holds her pounding head and it feels like the words she wants to say are stuck in her brain but she just can’t make sense of them. 

Then out of nowhere, she feels incredibly sick. She vomits immediately in the bed of the truck before blacking out again for a few seconds. 

“Shit. We gotta hurry,” she hears Joel say. 

When she comes to, she tries to remember what happened but she can’t place it. She tries to open her eyes again, but that makes everything worse. Not that it matters, it feels good to close them, and she’s so tired. Confused again though, she starts to try to stand. 

“Hey, no,” Joel says. He grabs her hand, holding her down. He scoots to the back of the truck bed and holds her around her shoulders. She couldn’t stand if she wanted to now. 

“What? What are you…I can’t…” she starts but can’t finish the thought. She squirms, trying to fight his hold on her, but she gets nowhere. 

“Shhhhh. It’s okay, we’re almost back,” he says to her and she calms down a little bit, but it’s clear that she’s incredibly disoriented and unwell. 

A few more minutes and they make it back to Jackson, having gone around a long way to try to lead the horde away from heading towards Jackson. They pull up at the medical center, having radioed ahead when they got close enough. Joel stands, pulling Ellie up with him and leads her to the back of the truck, avoiding the vomit. Jesse and Tommy are there, both holding out hands to help her down. Once she’s standing shakily, Joel jumps down behind her and puts her arm around his shoulders as he leads her slowly inside. 

One of the main doctors, Lindsay Ross, greets them just inside the door and walks them back to one of the private rooms they have there. 

“I’m going to be sick,” Ellie says, feeling clammy and dizzy. The ringing in her ears is relentless but does nothing to drown out the overwhelming, throbbing pain in her head. 

Doctor Ross grabs a pan while Joel helps her sit on the edge of the bed. 

Ellie throws up again, but it’s not as much this time – there’s not a lot left in her at this point. As she sits with the pan in her lap, Joel quickly takes off her shoes and backpack, wanting to help her get comfortable. 

“Concussion, you said?” Asks the doctor, looking at Joel. 

“Yah. Hit her head real hard. She lost consciousness for about a minute there, and has been in and out since then.” 

“Alright. We’ll get her comfortable and get her on meds and fluids. It seems pretty bad so I’ll probably keep here a few days until she gets better,” she says, as a nurse comes into the room. 

“You can wait outside, and we’ll get her changed. We’ll let you back in for a little while but she just needs a lot of rest.” 

Joel nods his head and sighs, then takes one last look at her before leaving the room. 

Once he leaves, they help Ellie slowly get out of her clothes and into a medical gown and help her lay back on the bed. She feels slightly better after they get an IV in her arm to start a panel of fluids and pain medication. The doctor checks her out, concluding that she does have a bad concussion as suspected. She feels tired but keeps her eyes closed more to stop the room from spinning. 

The room gets quiet as the medical staff filter out. She hears some muted voices, far and quiet enough that she can’t make out the words. Then she hears a few heavy footsteps coming to the side of the bed, and feels someone grab her hand and kiss her forehead. Joel pulls up a chair, leaning in more so he can rub her arm and her hair, and she drifts asleep after a few minutes. 

The next time she regains consciousness, she hears quiet arguing, but she can still barely concentrate on anything other than the overwhelming pain her head. 

“Please, let me stay.” 

“Joel, you have to go. We’ll watch her overnight. She needs rest.” 

“She was sleepin’ jus’ fine with me here.” 

“I know, but visiting hours are over, and you can come back first thing in the morning. You have my word, we’ll keep a good eye on her.” 

“But…” 

“Joel, come on, you heard ‘em. Ellie’s in good hands. Come back tomorrow,” says Tommy. 

Ellie can tell without opening her eyes that Joel’s upset. 

“Fine. What time in the mornin’?” 

“Nine.” 

“Alright, just let me say goodbye quick.” 

“Okay, we’ll be waitin’ outside,” replies Tommy. 

This time Ellie opens her eyes just a little, but she’s still a little dizzy and has a hard time focusing. 

“Joel,” she whispers as he grabs her hand and sits back down. 

“I gotta leave, alright? But they’ll watch ya tonight. An’ I’ll be back the first minute I can tomorrow. Tommy’s taking Moose, so don’t worry about him ‘neither.” 

She gives a frustrated moan. “Want you to stay. But thank Tommy for me.” 

“I will. An’ I know darlin’, I don’t wanna go. But they’ll take care ‘a you. Just sleep and I’ll be back soon,” he says. 

She shuts her eyes again, but feels him kiss the top of her hand and then her forehead, keeping his lips against her skin. “Sleep,” he whispers, kissing her skin one more time before she feels every bit of his absence as he leaves. 

That night, the medical staff do check on her often, but she has a miserable, completely restless night. The times that she’s awake seem to drag on forever, with the morning seeming to refuse to come. She’s uncomfortable, in pain, and can barely keep still. She can hear the staff whisper about some sedatives, but they know they should try to avoid that because of her brain injury. It’s best if she heals on her own. 

When it finally reaches morning, she isn’t any better than the day before. There aren’t many improvements to her symptoms that they can tell, although at least the ringing in her ears has lessened. 

As expected, Joel shows up, looking exhausted at nine o’clock exactly. The bags under his eyes are puffy and dark. But at least he’s changed into a t-shirt and jeans and looks like he showered. He pulls up close in the chair again after another kiss to her forehead. 

“Heard you had a rough night.” 

“Yah.” 

“No better today?” He asks, running his hand gently up and down her arm. 

“No,” she says, pausing for a few seconds. “Don’t stop, that feels good.” 

Ellie slowly relaxes from his touch and eventually falls asleep for a long nap. When she wakes up again, he’s still sitting in the chair, but his upper body is draped over her bed and he’s fast asleep. He still has her hand in his own. She tries to open her eyes more to watch him. He looks peaceful, even though the way he’s situated must be uncomfortable. His face is relaxed, lips slightly parted, hair a little unkempt. She smiles to herself, thinking it’s cute. And she doesn’t want to stop staring. She wonders if he had any sleep at all last night. 

She reluctantly shuts her eyes again though, finding even the small amount of sunlight from the blinds to be painful. If she can’t look at Joel, she can at least think about him. She gotten hints before, but with her injury, his presence and protective nature have been amplified. She finds it comforting, especially now. It’s not something she ever thought she needed, especially since she’s been on her own for so long. But now that she has this, she’s starting to crave it. 

By the time it’s early evening, the staff try to come in and offer her some food but she refuses. She doesn’t feel hungry or well enough to try. Even Joel tries, but she refuses him too. They’re not happy, but also can’t force her to eat. A little later, she hears the doctor come back in. On instinct, she squeezes Joel’s hand harder, as if she could hold him there with just that. 

“Listen, why don’t you stay here tonight,” the doc says, looking at Joel. 

“I’d like to,” Joel replies. 

The doctor sighs loudly. “She seems to do better with you here. And she’s not going to get better quickly if she doesn’t get rest and improve and get her appetite back.” 

“Well I’m happy to stay as long as she’s ok with it.” 

“Stay,” Ellie whispers. 

She hears the doctor chuckle. “Alright. We’ll be back later,” she says, then leaves the room. 

Ellie cracks her eyes open, finding Joel watching her. “My evil plan worked.” 

Joel smirks and shakes his head. “You’re a mess girl.” 

“Probably look a mess.” 

“Hey, don’t do that. You’re as beautiful as ever.” 

She tries to roll her eyes, but tries but pinches her eyes in pain. 

“See? You’ll just have to accept it,” he says, rubbing his thumb on her hand. 

“Thank you for staying,” she says, opening her eyes again and looking at him. 

“Of course.” 

“I mean it. It means a lot that you’re here.” 

He leans closer, putting his hand on her cheek and running his thumb slowly along her jaw again just like the other day. “Don’ wanna be anywhere else.” 

“Will you come up here?” 

He looks down at the bed. It’s barely bigger than a twin. 

“If you scoot over a little. An’ gonna be a tight squeeze.” 

“Mmm. Come up.” 

Joel drops his hands from her to take his boots off as she scoots over. He climbs in, having to lean over her a little so he can get situated. 

“Under the covers,” she instructs, so he slides his legs under the sheets then settles in, pulling her back towards him, spooning her smaller body with his own. Their arms are over the sheets, so Joel drapes his arm over her middle. 

“Comfy?” he asks quietly as he brushes her hair up and over the pillow so it’s out of the way. 

“Very,” she admits, then runs her hand down his arm to find his hand and threads her right fingers into his. 

He kisses her one more time, this time on her neck a little lower than her ear. She drifts off to sleep, feeling warm and content, the pain already starting to drift slowly away. She only gets up once in the middle of the night, already feeling less dizzy. When she comes back, she settles into Joel facing him this time, tucking under his chin and back up under his heavy arm. He resituates a little but holds her just as close. “Mmm, Ellie,” he mumbles, half asleep. This makes her smile, and she nuzzles her face against his beard then quickly drifts off to sleep again. 

They sleep soundly the rest of the night until the medical staff come into the room in the morning. Joel works his way off the bed and back into the chair as Ellie sits up, yawning. 

“Morning. How are you feeling today, Ellie?” The doctor asks, coming over to her. 

“Better. Everything feels better today.” 

“Good. The few times we checked on you guys, you were both fast asleep so we wanted to let you be.” 

“Yah, slept good,” Ellie says, looking over at Joel, who gives her a small smile. He looks less tired today. 

“Think you’d be up to eating something this morning?” 

“I think so. Maybe liquid first then try more?” 

“Yah we can do that,” the doctor says, nodding at the nurse who leaves the room. 

Ellie drinks some broth and feels fine, so they bring her more substantial food. Joel eats some too, after not eating much either over the past few days. They take her IV out, now that she’s able to drink liquids, and doesn’t need to be on painkillers anymore. What they have is limited, so they at least got her through the worst of it. 

Joel leaves for a little while so Ellie can have some other visitors – Dina and Jesse first. Then Tommy and Maria with a very excited Moose who jumps up on the bed and throws himself at her. Later that afternoon, she’s able to get up and walk a little, just feeling a little weak but stable. Joel is there to hold her hand in case she trips or loses her balance, but she does just fine. In the late afternoon, Joel is with her again, sitting on the chair. Ellie didn’t even feel the need to nap today. 

Doctor Ross knocks on the door then comes in. “Still feeling good?” 

“Yah, much better today. Still a little foggy, and have a headache, but I’m better. The ringing is gone too.” 

“Well, since you’re doing so well, I don’t see why you can’t go home and keep resting there. As long as you have someone stay with you for a few days.” 

“Okay. Dina mentioned she’d be able to if that was the case.” 

“Great. I’m just going to look at you one more time, then you can get changed and get out of here. Then I’ll come check on you in a few days.” 

Joel gets up. “I’ll wait for you outside.” 

Ellie is officially cleared to leave, so she changes into her clothes she came in with and meets Joel in the lobby. They go straight to Dina’s, but Joel walks with them to the stables to make sure Ellie’s ok on the horse. 

Dina goes to get Shimmer saddled while Ellie waits with Joel. She steps over to him, draping his arm across her shoulder, and leans her head on his chest. 

“I know Dina’ll take good care of you but I’ll come visit tomorrow, ok? An’ I’ll get Moose from Tommy so you can see him. But I’ll keep ‘im for a few so you can just worry about yourself, ok?” 

Ellie looks up at him but starts to tear up, overcome with emotion. 

He grabs her head again with his free hand. “Hey now, what is it?” 

“I just…you guys are taking care of everything. It’s the nicest thing anyone’s…” her voice trials off, breaking. 

“Well, let us take care of you. We all want you better. Me especially,” he whispers to her, giving her one more lingering kiss on the cheek. She holds him tighter. 

Just then, Dina walks up with Shimmer, ready to go, so Ellie and Joel reluctantly part. 

“Okay, so tomorrow?” 

“Mmmhmm. Tomorrow.” 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was going to have more in this chapter originally but am happy with where it's at so here you go :) ENJOY.

The girls make it back to Ellie’s house just fine. Ellie feels okay but Dina insists she goes inside while she takes care of Shimmer. The moment she steps inside she’s hit with a sadness she doesn’t expect. It feels so empty without Moose. She forgets what it’s even like really to not have animals to take care of. But Moosie boy, especially – he’s been in her life a year now, from sun up to sun down every day. She knows it’s just for a few days, but she wishes he was here. She sits down on the couch, removing her shoes, then sits and waits for Dina to come in. 

“You good?” Dina asks, walking in and locking the door behind her. 

“Yah, I’m fine. But I definitely need a bath. Haven’t had one in days.” 

“I know, I could smell you more than the horse,” Dina says, smirking at her. 

“Shut up.” 

“I’ll heat up some water for you.” 

Ellie starts to get up, “Are you sure?” 

“Sit!” says Dina forcefully, then disappears into the bathroom. 

Ellie tries to relax, but she’s not very good at this. When Dina’s almost done, Ellie gets the clothes she wants and heads into the bathroom. She stays in the warm water so long that Dina yells from the living room asking if she’s okay. She doesn’t stay in much longer after that, but it was nice to get clean and be by herself for a few minutes. The last few days have been a lot to process, and way more excitement than she was anticipating. 

Ellie wanders into the kitchen once she’s all done. “Want ice for your knee?” 

“Oh, yah. Probably should.” 

Ellie grabs two towels with two mounds of ice – one for Dina and one for the welt that’s on the side of her head from the stupid bloater. She walks to the couch and collapses on the opposite end to Dina after giving her the ice towel and they each tend to their injuries. 

“Wild couple days, huh?” says Ellie. 

“Pssshh, yah. Especially for you. Scary.” 

“Yah, I don’t recommend time with a Bloater. Ever. Thanks for visiting though.” 

“Well, wanted to check on ya. Even though I know you were in very good hands. Very strong and masculine,” Dina says, teasing her. 

Normally Ellie would return that with a snarky comment, but she just looks down into her lap and smiles. 

“Alright, keep your secrets!” 

Ellie’s head snaps up to Dina’s at that. “Hey now! What do you want me to say?” 

“Um, more details, Ms. Williams, that’s what! I was right wasn’t I?” 

Ellie laughs. “I guess,” she answers, already feeling a little flustered. She looks at Dina again, who’s watching her silently. “Okay, so dinner was…so great.” Ellie starts, then tries to explain in detail all the things that happened that night. 

“So of course by the end, it’s getting dark outside so I had to go. And he, uh, kissed my cheek. For a few seconds Dina. And even that was amazing.” 

Dina’s mouth dropped open. “Alright, Joel!” 

“Yah, well then we didn’t see each other for a few days even though we both tried to. But right before you guys left, he made sure to come find me. And uh…I think he was about to kiss me. Then stupid Krystle and Cindy showed up.” 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” 

“Nope, wish I was.” 

“Good god, I will go right now to murder their stupid ugly faces.” 

“Easy, killer.” 

“Okay, I’ll try to calm down. So what next?” 

“Well, I kinda grabbed his hand behind his back when they came up.” 

“What!” Dina says dumbfounded. 

“Hey, I couldn’t help it. They ruined the moment and he was just there so….it was kinda hot, not gonna lie. We were like playing with each other’s fingers and no one could see it.” 

“Damn!” 

“Yah. So anyway, those bitches asked Joel to dinner when he was supposed to get back, but he pretty much told them no.” 

“Good! Fuck them. He’s with someone else.” 

Ellie laughs and bites her bottom lip. “Yah, well hopefully they’re not stalking him while I’m out here. Maybe I should train Moose to attack them.” 

“Oh my god, you totally should.” 

“So anyway, to end that part of the story, they left but Joel had to go. So he kissed my cheek again and I told him that he better come back to me. And he said ‘nothing would stop that beautiful girl.’” 

At that, Dina squeaks. “SEE! I fucking told you and you wouldn’t believe me!” 

“Well, yah. And the last few days have been more of the same really, although he did touch me a lot – my hand, my arm, my hair. And since I was doing so much better with him there, the doc let him stay with me overnight. I asked him to come up into the bed, and he did. He just held me and we both actually got some sleep.” 

“Damn, girl. You work fast.” 

Ellie shrugs but looks amused. “I guess. But it just feels right. I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. And how he takes care of me…”

“Took care of me, too. You heard me tell Maria – he literally ran back to help me up and those infected were getting fucking close.” 

“I’m sure he went through a lot of shit to get here but he seems like a good one, you know? And being Tommy’s brother, he can at least vouch for him.” 

“Hey, you know you have my full support. No man would be around like Joel is if he wasn’t into you.” 

“He keeps this up, he’ll be into me alright,” Ellie says, making them both laugh. 

“Okay, you horndog.” 

“Just saying. Come on, you’ve seen the man.” 

“Oh, I know. I love Jesse, but damn girl.” 

They sit in silence for a few moments. 

“I can hear you thinking over here,” says Dina. 

“I just…do you think he just wants a casual thing? I mean, he just got to Jackson. I guess I’m just worried that it won’t be what I’m hoping for. Obviously this is all still early, but if it keeps going this well…” 

“Well, I guess you’ll have to wait and see. And you can ask one day. But Joel doesn’t seem that type to me.” 

“Really?” Ellie asks, hopeful. 

“I mean, yah. Just look at how supportive he’s been. And how much he wants to be around you. Even when you were hurt. I mean he knows that you have his family, me, and Jesse. But he still stepped in. I’m sure he knows that’s what you wanted, but still. That’s pretty telling.” 

“Yah, I guess. And he’s coming tomorrow with Moose.” 

“See? That too. He knows you’d want that. For both him and Moose.” 

Ellie has a stupid grin on her face. 

For the rest of the day, they just take it easy lounging around and watching movies. Ellie sits at the kitchen table while Dina cooks them dinner since it’s hard for her to stand for too long. That night, Dina offers to take the couch but since Ellie’s bed is big enough, they both sleep there. It’s comforting to have someone with her, even if it’s not Joel this time. 

The next morning, they take it easy again, just lounging around on the couch. Ellie’s so distracted though, constantly glancing out the window hoping to see Joel and Moose. Her stomach twists into knots every time movement catches her eye and she realizes it was nothing – just a bird flying or tree branch waving in the breeze. 

Finally in the late morning, Ellie sees a large dark blob sprint by from the corner of her eye. Then the telltale sound of a paw scratching at the door and barking fills the house. Ellie jumps off the couch, catching a look outside to see Joel and Jesse walking towards the house. 

“Looks like you got a visitor too, Dina,” Ellie says, looking over at her still sitting on the couch, bruised leg stretched out, as she goes to open the door. 

Ellie opens it and bends down to a very excited Moose. “Moosie boy!” she says, trying to pet him through his spastic movements. He stays loving on her for a whole minute, giving the guys time to make it to the door. Dina walks over too. 

“Morning!” Ellie says, happily, looking at Jesse first then keeping her gaze on Joel. 

He smiles warmly at her, keeping his gaze on her too. 

“Morning! We brought some food in case you were low,” says Jesse. 

“Thanks babe,” Dina says, going over to greet Jesse. 

Ellie stands and backs up to give everyone more room, and Moose has gone to wander the house. Joel has just enough room to squeeze in and go to Ellie. 

“Hey darlin’. How you feelin’?” Joel asks, bringing her into a warm embrace. 

“Good. Missed you though.” 

“Yeah, me too.” 

They pull away since they’re not alone. Jesse and Dina go to the kitchen to put the food away. Ellie grabs Joel’s wrist and pulls him to the window seat. It’s not quite as comfortable as the couch but there’s lots of pillows and plenty of room for two. They settle in, facing each other, as Moose brings Ellie the toy Joel had gotten him. 

“See? Told you he loves it.” 

“Mhmmm. You’re still his favorite though,” he replies, smiling as Moose almost pulls Ellie off the ledge he’s pulling on the toy so hard. 

“How’d he do?” she asks. 

“Oh, fine. He’s been spoiled by all the Millers.” 

“Yah I can tell he’s doing just fine. Gonna have to go outside and play b-a-l-l later, make sure I stay the favorite.” 

Dina and Jesse come settle on the couch as Moose takes his toy over to his bed to chew on it by himself. 

Joel looks at Dina. “She been ok? Really?” 

“Oh, you’re just gonna talk about me while I’m right here?” Ellie says, reaching over and pinching Joel’s side. He playfully swats her hand away. 

“Yes, Joel, she’s been fine. I’ve even forced her to let me take care of her, even though I don’t think she likes it very much.” 

Ellie buries her head in her hands. “You’re all the fucking worst.” 

She feels a strong hand grip her wrist, so she drops her hands. “Yes, damn shame you have so many people that care about you.” 

“Yes, I’m glad you understand my plight, I’m very oppressed.” 

They all laugh and hang out and have lunch together. Ellie’s heart feels so full – having everyone here, spending a carefree day together. And the ease at which Joel has integrated into her life is all the more astounding to her. She moves her leg so it’s resting against his under the table. His eyes flicker to hers, and the side of his mouth tips up into a smile. He moves his leg even closer. 

When they’re done with lunch, the guys clean up, letting the girls relax. 

“Alright, I’m going to ice my knee,” Dina says, standing up. 

Ellie stands too, looking at Joel. “Think I’ll go for a short walk. Come with?” 

“Of course,” Joel responds. 

Ellie puts on her converse then follows him out the door, letting Moose trot past since he clearly wants to come too. She pulls the door shut and steps across the porch into the bright sunshine, breathing in the forest air. 

“God, what a beautiful day.” 

Joel stops and turns to look at her instead of their surroundings. “Sure is.” 

Moose goes to the left towards the entrance to her normal wooded trail. “Well, I guess we’re going this way,” Ellie says amused, starting to walk. 

They just make it into the tree line when Joel grabs her hand, threading his fingers through hers. 

“Thanks. Still a little unsteady on my feet sometimes.” 

“Not why I did it but sure glad to help,” he says, smiling warmly at her, which is something that seems to be easier for him as the days pass. 

“Ah, smooth talker today, huh?” 

“Can’t help it around you.” 

“Well good. I like it,” she admits, squeezing his hand. 

Moose rockets ahead, chasing a squirrel up a tree. 

“Tommy and Maria okay?” Ellie asks as they walk slowly along. 

“Yah, jus’ worried about you is all. Said they’ll stop by tomorrow if they can.” 

“Oh good. All these visitors are great. Haven’t had this much action in years.” 

Joel snorts. “That right?” 

“Yah, I told you the first time you came over here. It’s usually just me and Moose.” 

He nods his head. 

“Hey, so what happened after I passed out the other day?” 

“Oh, uh, I saw you go down as soon as I got to the ground. Jesse was smart enough to grab the megaphone and blast the siren to distract the bloater away from you. Then we just shot it to high heaven.” 

“Shit. Well, he was a big guy.” 

“Sure was.” 

“Were you and Tommy going to run for it? Before we came?” 

“Well, we might have eventually but knew we needed to give it more time. That’d be a long way to go with all them runners around. And we knew Dina would make it back to Jackson with the update an’ someone would probably come.” 

“Smart. Just glad we’re all back now in one piece.” 

They walk for a few moments in comfortable silence. 

“So did the doc say anythin’ else before you left yesterday?” Joel asks. 

“Not really. Just to take it easy but walk around a little bit when I feel up to it. And just ice the spot on my head to keep the swelling down.” 

Joel slightly pulls on her arm, stopping them where they’re at. He steps closer, looking at the spot, gently holding her head with his free hand and ghosting his thumb over the still very visible raised knot. 

“Fuckin’ bloater.” 

“Yah. Would have been a goner if you guys weren’t there.” 

“Sorry you were so hurt but I’m glad that’s all it was,” He says, then pauses a moment. “You know what I’ve heard helps, though?” he says, dropping his hand to the side of her neck, making her heart rate rise once again. 

She shakes her head. “What?” 

“Kissin’,” he says quietly, watching her reaction. 

Ellie’s face lights up before quickly forcing a serious face. “You know, I’m pretty sure I remember doc telling me it’s like medicine, and that I should try it with the next handsome man that happens to stop by.” 

“That so?” he says quietly, closing all the remaining space between them as he moves to hold her head with both hands, tipping her face up to his. 

Ellie licks her lips, and wraps her arms around his waist, gently nodding. “Mmhmmm. Although I did see Jesse first.” 

Joel playfully looks offended. “Well, we can go back if you want…” 

Ellie shakes her head, expelling an airy laugh. “Oh no, you come here…you’re the one I want,” she says, pulling him to her. 

Their lips meet slowly and gently but confidently for the first time, lingering for a few seconds for their first kiss as they both adjust. Ellie has to compose herself there’s so much happening to her body, her head, and her heart all at once as she feels those wonderful lips pressing so perfectly against her own. They start a delicate dance, lips giving and taking, tugging and tasting. Everything feels right, tastes right, is right. 

After about a minute, they pull back, just resting their foreheads together. 

“Damn, girl. You think I was around you a lot before, well….”

Ellie laughs and pulls him in to an intimate hug. “Good. I want you around.” 

They walk on the path for a little while longer before they decide not to test Ellie’s luck. When they’re just about home, Joel pulls her in again for a few more kisses, which she very happily returns, already very comfortable with this new element of their relationship. 

When they get back inside, they just hang out talking for a while longer before the guys need to head back to Jackson. Already Ellie knows how restless she’ll feel until she sees Joel again. Anytime not being around him is starting to feel wrong. 

Dina, ever the saint, drags Jesse outside so Ellie can have a few final moments in private with Joel. They hug closely, and Ellie pleasantly shivers as Joel plays with a handful of her hair at the nape of her neck. 

“Tommy an’ Maria will probably stop by in the mornin’.” 

“Okay. And you?” 

“I got patrol tomorrow, so I can come over after an’ bring Moose.” 

“I can keep him. Less for you to worry about tomorrow. And I’m okay.” 

“You sure?” 

Ellie backs up so they can be face to face. She nods. “Still come over? We’ll make dinner.” 

Joel’s hands hold her face again, although his thumbs graze over her cheeks this time. “Mmmhmm. But these freckles, girl. They’re real cute.” 

Ellie kisses one of his palms and holds his hips at the top of his jeans. “Hey, now. Focus. We’re running out of time.” 

“Mmmm. In that case…” he says, leaning down and pressing his lips against her own. It’s true, they don’t have very long, but Ellie savors every moment. This time, she lets her hands wander a little more – up his back, across his shoulders, and up his neck into his hair. On instinct, he pulls her tighter and pays a lot of attention to her bottom lip – sucking on it and teasingly licking it with quick swipes of his tongue. He’s waking up parts of her she hasn’t felt with anyone in years. 

They know their time is up, so they pull back reluctantly, although he kisses both of her cheeks quickly. 

“Alright boy, git,” she says smiling like a fool. She places her hand on the middle of his chest and gently pushes him towards the door. 

“Not for long, darlin’,” he says winking, with a smile so large she can see his teeth. 

She feels light on her feet as she follows him outside to see him and Jesse off. Moose even comes out and sits by her leg. Dina comes up, eyeing her friend suspiciously, then turns to watch the guys walk down the path, now a good way away. 

“Oh my god, look at them,” Dina says, endearingly. 

They’re out of hearing range, but both of the men look happy and at ease, talking and laughing about something. Ellie catches the tale end of one of Joel’s hearty laughs as it reverberates across the trees. Ellie, wanting to watch Joel every second she can, just stares. 

“So how we doin’, El?” 

She breaks her trance and turns to her friend. “He fuckin’ kissed me, Dina. And Jesus can he kiss…” 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok - couple quick things. I went ahead and changed the rating but don't get TOO excited yet...just starting to flirt with those lines, so I'm being responsible. Also, I put a Last of Us Easter Egg in this chapter because it just worked out that way. If someone finds it, then 5 points to Gryffindor or something. Go team.

“You know, I could get used to this,” Dina says, sitting with her legs up on the couch next to Ellie. 

“What? Not working.” 

“Yes! This is the life.” 

“It is! I could definitely get used to you serving me.” 

“Oh, serving you? Is that what I’m doing?” 

“Yah, that’s what it looks like to me.” 

“Well in that case, fuck you, I guess I’ll go home now and you’ll have to fend for yourself.” 

“Alright, be that way. Just send Joel. He’ll be nicer. Much, much nicer.” 

Dina laughs. “I’m sure he would be. Is he coming today?” 

“Yah, for dinner. He had patrol today.” 

Their conversation is cut short by their three expected guests – Tommy, Maria, and Doctor Ross. Ellie gets up to answer the door, swinging it wide open. 

“Hey guys!” 

“Well there she is,” says Tommy as they all smile and greet each other. 

The doctor walks in as Ellie hugs the Millers. Moose checks them all out but spends the most time excitedly focused on Tommy and Maria. 

“You look good, Ellie. How do you feel?” asks the doctor. 

“Really good. Every day is better. Feeling like myself today. Just a small headache left.” 

“Great. Want to go to the back room so I can check you out privately?” 

“Oh, no. It’s fine, they’re all basically family,” Ellie says, smiling warmly. 

She takes a seat at the kitchen table while Doctor Ross checks on the bump on her head. It’s gone down to less than half the size it was, but she’ll need to keep icing it a few times a day until most of the swelling is gone. Everything else looked good. 

“Alright, well. If you feel good and have been up and about, then I don’t see why you can’t be on your own now.” 

“Finally,” Dina says jokingly from her spot on the window, making them all laugh. 

“And can I start running again?” 

The doctor looks at her, considering for a moment. “IF…you start slow and you stop immediately if you don’t feel well. And any signs of trouble, you come straight to Jackson, ok?” 

“Deal.” 

Ellie happily walks over to the window as the doctor next checks on Dina’s knee before heading back to town. 

“So. Unfortunately you’ll both live, huh?” Says Tommy as Maria smacks him lightly on the leg. 

Ellie looks at Maria. “Remind me why we went to go get them?” 

“I’m starting to wonder myself,” Maria says, eyeing Tommy hard. 

“AND,” Ellie starts loudly, “I fucking threw myself in front of a bloater for you. Next time, it’s your turn.” 

“Ellie, have you seen these muscles?” Tommy says, holding up an arm and flexing. 

“I have! And it looks like Joel could snap them in two like a twig.” 

Tommy puts his hand on his chest, fake hurt again. “Usin’ my own kin like that. Shameful. At least I got the looks of the family,” he says, winking at Maria. 

Dina flicks her leg, which Ellie quickly swats away. 

“Speakin’ of, he been by?” Tommy asks. 

“Oh, uh, yah. He brought Moose yesterday, remember?” 

“Oh, right. Forgot. Seems you’re helpin’ him settle on in though. I know he appreciates it.” 

“Yah, well, there’s at least one Miller I like,” she says, sending him a sly grin. 

“You really are a little devil,” he replies. 

“Alright, alright. So you’re really feeling better, Ellie?” says Maria, cutting in. 

“Yah, definitely.” 

“Good. And thanks again, Dina. This one’s stubborn,” Maria says, nodding towards Ellie. “Glad you could help her here.” 

“Don’t I know it. And it’s no problem, really.” 

Maria looks back at Ellie. “I’ll still give you a few more days off from work, okay. Then start you back on the towers at first.” 

“Ugh.” 

“I know, it’ll be boring. But we want you close for now. At least for a little while longer. That was quite an ordeal.” 

“Yah, I know. And not to be a sap but thank you all. For everything. You all really are like family.” 

“Aw, El, come here!” Dina says, holding her face and kissing her cheek. Ellie scrunches up her nose. 

“Okay, so I’m never saying anything like that again, so you guys better hold onto it forever.” 

They all laugh and continue their conversation for about another hour, with the Millers filling them in on everything they’ve missed from town over the past few days. When Tommy and Maria leave, Dina goes with them, probably very ready to get back to her own routine. But Ellie knows – Dina genuinely didn’t mind helping her. 

She lays down on the couch for a nap, overcome with deep feelings for these people she’s so lucky to have met. 

* * *

Later in the day, Ellie’s in the kitchen starting dinner. She had propped the front door open since it’s so nice out, and she peeks out the window when Moose suddenly gets up and trots outside. Sure enough, she sees Joel bent down, happily greeting Moose with another new toy. And his other hand is purposefully hidden behind his back. Ellie washes her hands then starts to walk over to the door. 

“Hello?” Joel says from the outside, so she pauses where she is. 

“Come in,” Ellie says, as he steps inside, taking a quick scan of the room, probably expecting to see at least Dina. “It’s just us. Everyone else went back to Jackson,” Ellie says, eying him. “Whatcha got there?” 

He smiles proudly as he presents a small bouquet of flowers from behind his back. “Picked ‘em myself.” 

“Joel! They’re beautiful,” Ellie says, seeing a blend of blues, purples, and baby pink flowers of various shapes and sizes. 

“Well, not the most beautiful thing in the room, but I thought they’d be nice.” 

Ellie smiles bashfully as he walks closer to her, placing his hand and holding her upper arm as he leans past her to place the flowers on the kitchen table. Then he comes back to her. 

“Now…hi darlin’,” he says, tipping her head up with the side of his index finger. 

“Hi,” she answers, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt at the waist and stepping even closer. 

“Been thinkin’ about these lips all day, girl,” he says quietly, running a thumb over her full bottom lip. 

“Mmm. What are you gonna do about it?” 

His eyes snap to hers before he pulls her in close and their lips meet in a heated kiss. This time, things are a little more heated and playful as the initial awkwardness is wearing off. Just like yesterday, the give and take is so natural and even. They take turns playfully nipping at each other, and sometimes just pressing and brushing their lips against each other. Ellie sucks on his bottom lip this time, then follows with a quick graze of her tongue before sticking it in his mouth, exploring there too. Joel puts his hands low on her hips as Ellie wraps her arms around his shoulders. Ellie’s mind is only half aware that he’s gently pushing her back, until she feels the kitchen counter against her back. Joel lifts her up, and she opens her legs so he can step in close. This new angle is a little more comfortable, Ellie being closer to his height now. He keeps his hands on her hips, holding her close to the edge. He sucks in her bottom lip between his own, and Ellie puts her hands on the sides of his face, pulling him back just a little while she thumbs his thick beard. 

She looks at him, mere inches away, with his eyes lingering closed, bliss matching her own. It’s one of the sexiest things she’s ever seen. But soon his eyes open, searching her own. 

“You okay?” He asks in a husky voice. 

Ellie resolves to never take this man for granted, with her always being a priority over himself, even now. She nods, still in a pleasant daze. “Joel, I….yah,” she says, pressing her lips fully against his own, and they kiss more slowly this time, just taking the time to be and feel. Acting on instinct, Ellie closes her legs tighter around him, hugging his waist. She starts to feel a trickle of wetness between her thighs. Joel’s hands stay on her hips just above her jeans, but they sneak underneath her shirt this time. Some of Ellie’s concentration lightnings straight there because the feeling of his warm but rough hands on her skin is so incredibly good. They kiss for a few more moments before he pulls away, and they pause, just looking at each other and catching their breath. 

Then Joel’s stomach growls. 

“You know, I was starting dinner when you got here.” 

“Mmm. Well I needed this…more,” he says, pausing his words to kiss each of her cheeks. With that, he backs up and helps her down off the counter. 

“Let me help you.” 

They finish cooking, mostly distraction free, although Joel comes up behind her a few times, holding her hips and giving her a quick kiss on the neck or head. They talk about their days and Ellie gives him the update from the doctor. After dinner, they clean up and go outside for a little while, soaking up every last minute of sunlight with Moose before heading back to relax on the couch. Ellie ends up lounging to the side, feet on Joel’s lap while he drapes his arm over the back of the couch towards her. 

He quietly watches her as she reaches out and plays with his fingers again, feeling his fingertips, brushing up and down the length of them, squeezing them at times. 

“You’ve got masculine hands,” Ellie finally says, making Joel laugh. 

“That’s a good thing I hope.” 

Ellie nods. “It’s very good. I like them. Liked them on me.” 

“Mmm. Well they’re only gonna get more rough helpin’ with your fence. Think I got most of what I need. Maybe I can make a good start of it while you’re off the next few days.” 

“Oh? Wasn’t sure you were serious.” 

Joel looks genuinely surprised. “Why not?” 

“Thought maybe you were just trying to flirt, get over here more.” 

He exhales another one of his breathy laughs. “Well, I was. But I still meant it. Think it’s a good idea.” 

Ellie lets out a big sigh. “You’re good at this, you know.” 

“At what?” Joel asks, focused completely on her. 

“On this. You and me I guess.” 

“Well, you make it easy. An’ I liked ya right from the beginnin’.” 

“You did not!” Ellie replies, shocked. 

“I did,” he says sincerely as he squeezes one of her shins that’s draped on his lap. “Thought you were one of the prettiest girls I’ve ever seen.” 

Ellie shakes her head, still disbelieving. 

“I can tell ya don’ believe me. But I’ll work it into ya.” 

She looks down at her lap, thinking. When she collects her thoughts she looks up to him. “Since we’re talking about it then, I guess I was wondering…” she pauses, uncertain. 

“Go on,” he says gently, playing more with her fingers now. 

“Well, there’s no one else?” 

He shakes his head. “No, no one.” 

“And…” she lets out a deep breath. “Look, I know it’s early and we’re still getting to know each other, but do you see this as a long term thing? I mean no pressure. None at all. I know we have no way of knowing right now and anything could happen. God, I almost died a few days ago. But I just, with everything…I just want to know…” she sputters out all quick and flustered. 

“Hey, hey,” he says, intentionally cutting her off. “Save your breath an’ your speech, girl. Yes, I see this as a long term thing. If you do.” 

“Oh,” she says, visibly relieved. “Okay, good,” she says, meeting his gaze. “I do want to see where this goes. Everything is so easy with you. Like it's almost scary.” 

“Mmhmm. It sure is.” 

“And not that we should announce it to the town but do you think you should tell Tommy and Maria? I mean, just so they know. And we wouldn’t have to hide it around them.” 

“You’ve thought a lot about this,” he says with smiling eyes. 

“Um. I guess, yah,” Ellie admits, feeling a little embarrassed. 

“It’s cute. And sure, I’ll tell them.” 

“Okay. Oh, and I kinda told Dina about our kiss.” 

Joel smiles. “I figured you might ‘of.” 

“I do kinda want Krystle and Cindy to know too, though.” 

Joel laughs this time. “Don’ you worry ‘bout them. They ain’t got nothin’ on you.” 

“I know.” 

“That’s the spirit,” Joel says, winking at her. 

“Can I ask something else?” 

“Anythin’.” 

“Your watch…” 

Joel’s mood instantly changes as he drops his gaze and turns tense and guarded. 

“Listen, if you don’t want to talk about it, I completely understand. I was just wondering.” 

He takes a deep breath in and brings his left arm close, looking down at the broken accessory and grasping it with his right hand. 

“No, you should know and it’s fair to ask,” he says so quietly that Ellie can barely hear him even from such a short distance away. He takes a few moments to steel himself, speaking a little louder this time. “I had a daughter…named Sarah. I was uh, only seventeen when she was born ‘cause I was young and stupid. But it did give me her. It eventually turned into just us. She was eleven when Cordyceps hit. That was on September 26th, which…is my birthday. She gave me this watch. I barely made it out that night. An’ she didn’t,” he says, barely above a whisper as he got to the end. 

Ellie can tell he’s finished with what he wanted to say. And she can tell his eyes are filling with tears even though he’s trying to hide it. “Jesus, Joel. I had no idea,” she says, bringing her legs down and scooting over to him. She wraps her arms around his shoulders and tucks her head into his neck. “I’m so sorry. You’ve lost so much.” 

It all starts to make perfect sense. How guarded he was in the beginning, barely able to smile. How protective he is, but doesn’t really want people to know it. But all these feelings he’s had buried for so long cut deep and strong. No wonder he’s just been existing up until now. Maybe coming here to Tommy’s is a final try at a meaningful life. 

Ellie lifts her head and kisses his cheek. “I wish I could take all the pain away. But I’m here now. And I’d love to hear more about her if you ever feel up to it.” 

He raises his hand to hold onto her arm that’s still wrapped around him. “Thanks Ellie. I’m sure you’d of liked each other.” 

“If she was anything like you, I know I would.” 

Joel resituates them, pulling Ellie’s arms off him and bringing her into his chest as he lays back a little more. 

“Thank you for telling me. You didn’t have to.” 

“I know. I wanted to.” 

They lay together in the calm silence for a few moments. 

“There is one more thing, in case it’s important to you,” he says. 

“Okay.” 

“Before Cordyceps I made sure I couldn’t have any more kids. So if that’s important to you…”

“It’s not,” Ellie says, cutting him off. 

“Are you sure? You’re young, and if I can’t give that to you…” 

Ellie picks up her head, looking at him. “I’m sure. Having kids in this world, it’s not something I want.” 

He puts his hand on the back of her head. “You’re not jus’ sayin’ that ‘cause of me, right?” 

“No. I guess I figured I’d cross that bridge when the time came if I met someone. But it’s always something I wanted to avoid.” 

“You don’ want more time to think about it? Talk it through with someone?” 

“With who?” 

“I don’ know, someone who has kids in Jackson. See what they have to say about it.” 

“Psshhh. I’ve seen some of the devil spawns that run around town.” 

“Okay, you’re joking now but I want to make sure you’re serious. It’s an easier crossroads now, if you decided you can’t be with me because of that. An’ that’s a mighty good reason.” 

Ellie sits up completely straight, and Joel follows her, resting his arm on the back of the couch again. She runs her hand up his bicep, squeezing the muscle under his sleeve. 

“It’s my turn to convince you, I guess. I’ve never wanted kids, so I’m not missing out on anything by being with you. Not a single thing. I swear.” 

Joel searches her face carefully, but must see that she’s telling the truth. “Okay.” 


End file.
